Behind Closed Doors
by LemonyWickedAwesome
Summary: Everyone has secrets...everyone tells lies...the people she knew were no expection. So she saw everything. She saw what happened behind closed doors...LEMONS. Character death.
1. Chapter 1

**Lemony:** Goddammit! I'm tired of playing Scrabble with you guys! I always freaking lose! *pouts*

**Wicked:** Did you forget your standing in this game, dear sister?

**Lemony:** Whadda mean?

**Awesome:** Lemony, I always win because I'm the Queen of Games and Wicked wins cause she's The Walking fucking Dictionary.

**Wicked:** And you, Lemony, are the Witless Wonder. Awesome, I resent that. *upturns nose* Everyone knows Scrabble is my element anyway.

**Lemony:**…Whore-mongers.

**Awesome:** There is no way you'll be able to beat either one of us in Scrabble, Lemony.

* * *

~prologue~

The sun was setting. Not good. Very not good! She needed to leave. Now. She needed to get home, before it got dark.

Rangiku Matsumoto hurriedly gathered her things from her office desk and stuffed them into her purse. The lights in her office building began clicking off above her head.

_BINK. _

_BINK._

_BINK._

Leave. Leave now! She had to get out of here! The orange-haired woman glanced over her shoulder out the office window. The sun was disappearing behind the horizon. Damn. It'd be dark soon. _Dark_! Rangiku drew in a shaky breath and snatched her cars keys off her desk. She sprinted from the office.

Her sprint dissolved into a quick jog.

Jogging…

Jogging…

Wait! Behind her? Could _he_ be behind her? Following her? Stalking her? She glanced over her shoulder to see nothing but the sun setting in the distance. A few more minutes and the night would swallow Karakura Town like a beast.

The parking garage. Finally she was here. All alone. Now all she had to do was get in her car…but where did she park? Fuck! Rangiku couldn't remember! Now was not the time to get scatter-brained…not when…_he_ was lurking around…

A low wind was blowing. That alone frightened Rangiku to the point of trembling. Shivers of fear racked her body as her eyes darted crazily in search of her vehicle. This was a waste of time! Rangiku needed to get home! Now! If she were home she'd be safe! She couldn't be out in the open like this! _He_ might find her!

Yes!

Rangiku located her car at the very end of the garage. She unlocked the door and hurried inside. She was a little safe now. Wait! What about the backseat? What if _he_ was hiding in the backseat? Slowly, Rangiku turned her head. Exhale. Thank God nothing was there.

This paranoia was crippling.

Her brain was screaming at her to move! Drive. Drive now!

Speeding.

Rangiku was tearing through the streets of Karakura Town. Cutting people off. Driving like a maniac. She was almost home. She was almost safe. Just a little further now…

Rangiku gulped.

Oh no!

The street lights were on! It was dark! It was dark! She wasn't safe! _He_ was going to find her! Then it happened. She could see her apartment building, finally! She was home! Rangiku breathed a short sigh of relief. There was no way _he_ could get her here…

Rangiku parked her car, got out, and ran into the building.

She didn't say hi to the doorman.

She didn't say hi to _anyone_.

Instead, the buxom woman kept her head down as she crept through the half-empty lobby. Rangiku made it to the elevator. Thank God, now she was safe. She wasn't out in the open. She wasn't in the dark.

Rangiku's breathing was still shaky as she tried to slip her key into the front door of her apartment. Her fingertips were slicked with sweat and that only made things more difficult. When she was finally able to open the door, Rangiku stepped inside and released a sigh of relief. Safe. Finally. There was no way _he_ could get her in her own home, right?

Wrong.

It wasn't long before the front door shut behind her with the distinct click of the look.

All the color drained from Rangiku's face. She knew who it was. Oh God…please God no…

"Rangiku…" He said, "I've been waiting for you…"

To Be Continued…

* * *

**Lemony:** *playing Scrabble* WICKED! "Anodize" is NOT a word!

**Wicked:** Oh how I love proving you wrong. "Anodize" means to coat a metal, especially magnesium, or aluminum with a protective film by chemical or electrolytic means. Idiots. Instead of reading smut novels, perhaps you should read a science book.

**Lemony:**…SAY WHAT? WHO JUST KNOWS RANDOM INFORMATION LIKE THAT? AND DON'T INSULT MY SMUT BOOKS!

**Wicked:** *rolls eyes* I do, you imbecilic dolt, and I'll say whatever I bloody please about your choice of literature. Also, I refuse to be a dunderhead in life. *folds arms*

**Awesome:** *looking in dictionary* Aw shit! Lemony it really is a word! I'll be damned, man!

**Lemony:** *looks at dictionary with Awesome* Awww man! It is! Ok, I freaking quit Scrabble! Anywho, readers I'm so sorry this first chapter is kinda short and kinda choppy. But ya have to wonder who is this "he" person and what has he been waiting for Rangiku for? Food for thought! Nom! Nom! Nom! XD And how do Gin and Rukia play into all of this? SO MANY QUESTIONS!

**Wicked:** *chuckles* Oh yes I almost forgot, and when you add up my score please include the double and triple letter bonuses.

**Awesome&Lemony:** *glares at Wicked*

**Wicked:** *smirks*...REVIEW!

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	2. Chapter 2

**Lemony:** Updating, updating, and updating. Oh and MookaWooka, BoobsMcgee? HAHAHAHAHA! I'm sorry but that one made me laugh. Mkay enjoy!

* * *

~One Year Later~

"Oh Nii-sama, this place is beautiful," twenty-one year old Rukia Kuchiki breathed, spinning, as she examined the spacious loft-style apartment. "It's one of the better looking places we've seen," She mused aloud as she walked across the large open room. Her footsteps echoed as she stepped across the rich wood floors over to the huge industrial window on the other side of the room. She took one look outside ad her round, cobalt eyes glittered.

"Nii-sama, you should see this view!" Rukia exclaimed, "You can see all of Karakura Town from here…"

Instead of gawking at the apartment like his adopted younger sister, the ever-stoic Byakuya Kuchiki was skimming the leasing agreement for the place. His eyebrows were furrowed tightly and he cut his icy, grey eyes at the building manager who was standing next to him. He was a short, nervous, stub of a man with round glasses and a bald spot at the top of his head. The poor man shrank under Byakuya's leering gaze.

"I'm not sure about this place," Byakuya said to the trembling manager, "I have heard from my colleagues that this building is somewhat dubious…it has a bit of a reputation."

"W-well, every place has had its fair s-share of accidents, Mr. Kuckiki." The manager replied with a nervous chuckle.

"But this particular building has more accidents than others from what I've heard." Byakuya said curtly,

The manager gulped and fell silent. He anxiously adjusted his glasses.

"I assure you Mr. Kuchiki, t-this really is a decent place to live…as a matter of fact, I-I live right down stairs…"

Byakuya remained unconvinced.

While the men continued their conversation, Rukia was curiously poking around the space, envisioning how beautiful it might look with furniture.

"I've looked into this place." Byakuya said lowly, his eyes casting a suspicious glare, "Some of the '_accidents_' are unsettling. Like the woman who died here last year. What do you have to tell me about that?"

"Ah," The manager uttered, "You're referring to Miss Matsumoto. She lived on the tenth floor. She was so beautiful. I'm afraid her death was ruled a suicide, Mr. Kuchiki. The poor thing, who would have known she'd just…just…jumped to her death like that…it, gives me the shakes to even think about…"

"Hm." Was all Byakuya said.

Meanwhile Rukia was ascending the metal, spiral staircase. The younger Kuchiki eyes glided from one side of the room to the other and a small smile appeared on her face.

The upper half of the loft was a lot like the lower part. It had rich wood floors and clean white walls. Rukia couldn't resist the urge to see the bathroom. She crossed the room over to the door on the left-hand side. Upon looking inside the raven-haired girl's small smile blossomed into a large grin. The bathroom itself was modest compared to the rest of the place, but everything was made of sparkling white porcelain and had a shiny chrome finish.

"Rukia," Byakuya called, "Please come down here."

Rukia sighed contently, closed the bathroom door, and returned downstairs. Byakuya was looking at her expectantly as she descended the stairs.

"Rukia, the decision is yours." He said rather coldly, "Do you like this apartment?"

Rukia fought back a grin.

"I don't like it," She told him, "I _love_ it! It's not too big and it's not too small, it's right by campus, and everything!"

"I suppose. But are you certain you'd be willing to stay _here_?" The elder Kuchiki asked, looking at the place with disgust. Byakuya would much rather have Rukia stay home; at least there he could keep an eye on her. Especially at night when she wore the special nighties he'd picked out for her when she first came to live with the Kuchiki family.

"I'm positive Nii-sama," She assured him. Rukia was sure this was the place she wanted. Unlike all the other apartments they'd looked at, this one just felt right. Everything Rukia said was true: the space was a decent size, it wasn't far from her college campus so she could commute there every day, and the rent was fair. Well, Rukia wouldn't have to worry too much about rent or utilities; being a Kuchiki meant a silver spoon got shoved into her mouth the minute she was adopted. Rukia tried to convince Byakuya that she was capable of taking care of herself, but he refused to let her pay for anything. It got annoying from time to time having her older brother constantly meddling in her affairs. Hence the reason why Rukia was looking for a new place to live. She had to get out of Kuchiki Manor, and had to get away from Byakuya's authority.

"If you're sure," The noblemen said, "Then this is where you'll stay."

"Would you like the paperwork, Mr. Kuchiki?" The building manager asked, handing him the official copy of the leasing agreement.

Byakuya's face remained unchanged. "Where do I sign?"

Rukia lit up! She fought the urge to clap her hands and do a victory dance!

Finally, she'd have a place of her own.

* * *

_Now that's interesting…_

_Very interesting…_

_The image on the screen was captivating. _

_It was him. He was watching everyone again. Particularly them. The three people in the empty apartment on the thirteenth floor. He already knew who the short, stubby man was. It was the building manager of course. He'd seen him plenty of times. That man was so boring when he was out of his apartment. The building manager never did anything remotely interesting. _

_But, he watched them all very closely. His eyes were glittering like diamonds. He didn't need to wonder what the black-haired couple was doing. They were looking at the apartment like others had done. He wondered who they were. The black-haired gentleman standing next to the manager looked cold and untouchable. He also looked familiar…was that Byakuya Kuchiki? But then who was he with? He then turned his attention to the small, pretty girl standing across from the stone-faced man. Hmm…was she his girlfriend or wife maybe?_

_He sighed. _

_He really should have been paying more attention to the conversation. But it seemed like the sound was going in and out. Possibly because the room was empty and the echo wreaked havoc on the microphone._

_Just then, the black-haired gentleman signed what looked to be the lease. _

_He smiled. _

_Hmmm…so it would seem these people, whoever they were, would be moving in. It was about time the building manager filled that empty space. _

_Now he'd have some new people to observe. _

_Ever get the feeling you're being watched?_

To Be Continued…

* * *

**Lemony:** Hmm…again, who is this "he" person? XD. I suppose you'll find out sooner or later. Most likely later! Anywho, I had a rough night and I'm gonna go back to sleep now! Oh and readers, I get the feeling that this story is going to be LONG, so yeah...REVIEW!

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	3. Chapter 3

**Awesome:** *groans* *rolls over on the couch*

**Lemony&Wicked:** *snickers*

**Wicked:** Shall we tell the readers what ill fortune has befallen our protozoan older sister?

**Lemony:** Oh! Me! Me! Me! I wanna tell! Ok readers, Awesome injured herself! Ok, everyone knows Awesome is a work-out freak, but she tore the muscles in her tummy yesterday on the abs machine! She can't even put her hands above her head! Hahahahaha!

**Wicked:** It was hilarious when you tried to reach up and get the cereal off of the refrigerator this morning. It actually pulled a chuckle out of me.

**Awesome:** Fuck you both. I'm fine goddammit, I don't get hurt. Last time I checked, that was Lemony's job...*groans*

* * *

"How's the move going?" Renji Abarai asked his childhood friend as they walked from their last class of the day. Rukia sighed as she pulled her backpack over her shoulders.

"Longer than I thought," She answered,

"Need any help?" The redhead offered,

Rukia shook her head, "Thanks Renji, but Nii-sama already paid the movers, so everything's taken care of."

"Gee," Renji chuckled, "I wish I had a rich older brother to pay for everything too."

He playfully nudged her and the younger Kuchiki laughed.

"At least you don't have to deal with having a roommate or random freaking fire drills and all the bullshit that goes on in dorms," Renji told her, a hint of disgust in his voice. Of course, he had Ichigo Kurosaki as his roommate. Sure, Renji and Ichigo were friends but they would lock horns like bulls.

"I guess I'm just lucky," Rukia said as they turned the corner, headed towards the dormitories on campus.

Renji snorted. "I'll say. First, you don't have to live on campus. Second, you _already_ have a job interview! It isn't even the second week of school!"

Rukia just shrugged. Suddenly she stopped on a dime and grabbed onto Renji, her eyes wide. He looked down at her and furrowed his eyebrows.

"Renji, quick! What time is it?" Rukia demanded; Renji glanced at her then reached into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone. He checked the time.

"2:30, why?"

"Dammit!" She snapped, "I'm going to be late for my interview!"

She gave the tattooed young man and hurried goodbye and jetted off across campus. Renji watched her go with a smile on his face. Rukia was always hurrying off somewhere. He shrugged, now all he had to do was go back to his own room and kick Ichigo's ass for raiding his mini-fridge.

Again.

* * *

Have you ever noticed when you're running late that time seems to move twice as fast? That it melts like an ice cube in the summer heat? That time seems to speed itself up just to screw with you? Rukia had no time to worry about these questions as she ran through her apartment, leaping over unpacked boxes, while simultaneously stripping off clothes and bounding into the bathroom. She had no choice but to brush her teeth and comb her hair in the shower as she struggled with the soap and washcloth. The water went from warm to freezing cold and she jumped out as if it had attacked her. Dammit! Rukia turned the wrong fixture and the cold water came straying out her like icy bullets!

She hobbled from the bathroom, naked and nearly slipping onto the wet floor, into her bedroom. Rukia began ripping open the cardboard boxes and throwing clothes around the room. It took a full ten minutes before she found something suitable to wear. A plain white blouse with black slacks. In a short amount of time, the raven-haired girl managed to get herself dressed and ready. She'd forgone make-up and any extras. All she really needed was to look presentable.

Hustling, Rukia scurried out of her apartment and to her interview!

It took a couple of ran red lights, and a bit of speeding but Rukia made it to her interview with five minutes to spare. Now here she was, standing in front of the reception desk in a monstrous, downtown skyscraper waiting to be invited into the office. The office itself was far more luxurious than others with its dimmed overhead lights and mahogany wall panels. This place just smelled expensive; the scent of cigars and leather brief cases flowed in the air. Of course, most notable law firms are like this.

Just then, Rukia saw the receptionist. The woman poked her head around the corner and motioned for the younger Kuchiki to come forward. Silently, Rukia approached and followed receptionist down a long, narrow hall. Now her nervousness was staring her in the face; Rukia worked hard to ignore it.

"The worst they can say is 'no you didn't get the job'. Nothing to worry about…just do your best…" She thought, taking a deep, calming breath. Finally the pair reached a closed door at the very end of the hall.

"Just go ahead and knock," The receptionist said, "He's expecting you."

"Thank you," Rukia breathed as she raised her hand. She knocked softly three times before she received a reply.

"Come in," A sugar-coated voice cooed; Rukia swallowed, opened the door and stepped inside.

The moment she walked in she saw a man sitting behind a desk; his hands were clasped in in front of him and he had a huge, happy-face smile plastered across his face. This wasn't a happy smile at all…it was more of a devious grin. His narrow, serpentine eyes didn't help his mischievous expression. They made things worse. His face was sharp, almost knife-like, in all of its angular glory. But what really struck Rukia as odd was his silver hair…

"Hello, hello Ms. Kuchiki…" The man purred, "I'm Gin Ichimaru…"

Rukia immediately bowed respectfully. "I'm Rukia Kuchiki. Pleased to meet you, Mr. Ichimaru."

"Likewise," He hummed, "Please have a seat and let's get down to business."

Rukia nodded and sat down in a wooden chair across the desk. She could feel his eyes scanning her, he was sizing her up, looking for a weak-point. Rukia sat as still as stone in that chair, determined not to fidget in the awkward silence blanketing the room.

"I'll spare you the usual 'tell me about yourself' and other useless questions such as that." Gin said, "Personally, I think people aren't always completely honest when I ask that question anyways."

Rukia remained silent. She didn't want to agree because she didn't want to sound like she was kissing up to him. In retrospect, she didn't want to _disagree_ and come off as insincere.

Gin continued, "Rukia, as you know this is not a job. It's an internship. Selective internships such as this are usually reserved for graduate students at Karakura University, all of them involved in pre-law. So my one question is: why should I hire a mere undergrad sophomore such as you?"

Rukia tried not to gulp. "I may be a sophomore by classification, but my class rank and grades speak for themselves. I didn't become number one in my class by just breezing through my courses. I didn't get chosen to travel overseas before my freshman year to study western-law by simply getting by."

Rukia smirked slightly, "I can say, that in course of a few short years, I've done more in my studies than most seniors have done in their entire college career. In your eyes, I may not be the most qualified person, but I am the most dedicated."

Here her smirk grew wide, "But don't take my word for it. My impeccable references should be able to paint a better picture."

Gin chuckled lowly and glanced down at Rukia's resume. He nodded in approval; she had some impressive names listed, like Jushiro Ukitake and Kaien Shiba to name a few. All of them powerful players in Karakura Town. How did such a young girl have these kinds of influential connections? It was then Gin arched an eyebrow. She was a Kuchiki, of course. They were _born_ with connections. However, her parentage combined with her fierce ambition could be quite useful…that made the gears in Gin's head start turning. Perhaps he should take a chance on this "mere sophomore".

"Well, Ms. Kuchiki," Gin purred, "I suppose my last question would be, when can you start?"

Rukia arched a playful eyebrow, "I thought you said you only had one question?"

"Clever…" The silver-haired hummed cocking his head slightly, "I like a woman who pays attention…"

"I don't like to miss things." Rukia replied, "I can start as soon as possible."

"How about next Monday?"

"Monday would be great."

"Excellent," Gin said rising from his chair, he certainly was a tall man. He towered over Rukia by at least two feet of height, "I'll see you bright and early Monday."

"Thank you, Mr. Ichimaru," Rukia said getting up as well and bowing one last time, "Thank you so much."

"Oh no, thank you…" He purred,

With that, Rukia left. Gin sat back down at his desk, smirking like someone who had just gotten away with murder. He liked her. He liked her _a lot_. She was so confident and sure of herself, especially for someone who, at first, was slightly unqualified for this internship. Unlike his other candidates, Rukia didn't make grand stories about why she should have the job, or how much this firm needed someone like her, or any of that nonsense. No, she kept things simple and to the point. She never said what she was going to do if she hired, she said what she had _done_ previously. As if not getting the internship would hinder her in the least. Rukia left Gin wanting…in more ways than one. He was dying to see how she handled herself amongst the lawyers in paralegals in this office.

His eyes glinted.

Gin then looked down at her resume once more. What really got his attention was her address. He couldn't stop a chuckle from jumping into his throat. He knew exactly where it was…1313 Sakura Street.

How odd…

* * *

_Hmm…_

_He'd been watching her again._

_The poor thing was rushing to get ready for something earlier. It was fun watching her run around her apartment, frantically trying to get ready. At first, he didn't know what had her so worked up...but when he saw her choice of clothing he put two and two together. It was obviously something concerning employment. He had to rewind the footage in order to see it, but it was still very entertaining. Too bad her shower was so short, he didn't have time to see much of anything._

_Damn._

_He really should have been watching Yammamoto today. After all, he was the most important person here. He'd been trying to get rid of that old geezer from day one. He hated it when that man stalked around the building as if he was searching for something. It made keeping his secret difficult...especially now with this new tender tenant on the thirteenth floor._

_He watched her instead, very curious with how her move was going._

_It had only taken a couple of hours for her to settle in. It's not like she actually lifted a finger, the movers did all the hard work of lugging the last of her furniture to her apartment. He watched them all work like a bunch of bees building a hive. He frowned at her taste in furniture. Everything was Ikea. Couldn't she have chosen something more refined. She was a Kuchiki wasn't she? Couldn't she afford the classy, clean furniture over the simple and cheap stuff?_

_He'd seen that black-haired man…the cold, untouchable one. After a bit of research, he found that it really was Byakuya Kuchiki…but he didn't stay long. All he did was ask how her interview went and then he starting barking orders at the movers. And no, they weren't seeing each other. He learned that they were actually siblings. Adoptive siblings to be specific. He laughed when thought of how wrong his assumption had been. It was unusual to him though…Byakuya's name was on the lease, but he'd only seen him twice in the course of a week. Strange...he wasn't living with her? Why would he pay the rent and not stay there?_

_Although things were generally uninteresting, he couldn't bring himself to watch anyone else._

_Moves are usually boring to watch. But he enjoyed watching her delicately remove cute, little glass figurines from some boxes and place them in a glass shelf. He especially loved watching her unpack her clothes, fold them carefully, and put them away. She certainly had a lot of lingerie for such a young girl. It made him wonder…would he ever get to see her wear any of it?_

_This was her first night here and the poor thing had to sleep on the couch. Unfortunately the movers hadn't set up her bed yet. After hours of unpacking, Rukia simply crawled onto the sofa and fell asleep. He watched the screen…he watched her sleeping. He ignored Shinji and Hiyori getting into one of their many arguments. He ignored Yoruichi getting off with her vibrator._

_His attention lie solely with her... The girl snoozing peacefully on the sofa in nothing but a tiny, silk nightgown. He wondered...did she sleep like this every night?_

_From the shadows…he watched her…_

To be continued…

* * *

**Lemony: **YAY! We have Gin now! But its too early for the lemons hehehehe...Awesome how ya' feeling?

**Awesome:** Fine. I'll prove to you I'm ok. Wicked, hand me my XBOX controller.

**Wicked:** *evil smirk* No...You said you're ok, so get it yourself...*takes controller* *puts it on top of the refrigerator.*

**Awesome:** *eye twitches*...you stupid bitch...you're trying to be funny...*groans in agony*

**Lemony&Wicked:** AHAHAHAHAHAHA! IT IS FUNNY!

**Awesome:** I'M GONNA BEAT THE DOG-SHIT OUT OF BOTH OF YOU LITTLE BASTARDS! YOU KNOW I CAN'T REACH UP THERE! I'M AWESOME, DAMMIT! I DON'T GET HURT! *rolls over on couch*...REVIEW!

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	4. Chapter 4

**Awesome:** *groans* Oh God I want to die…*rolls over on couch*

**Lemony:** Aww Awesome, does your stomach still hurt?

**Wicked:** She tore the muscles you nitwit, of course her stomach still hurts. As a matter of fact, how about you go to the gym and rip up your insides and let's see how you feel.

**Lemony:** Take the gummy bear approach and just bite me three times.

**Wicked:** Blasted imbecile.

**Lemony&Wicked:** *fights*

**Awesome:** *groans really loud* OH GOD WHY ME? BOTH OF YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP! I DON'T HAVE THE ENGERY TO DEAL WITH YOU TODAY!

**Lemony&Wicked:** *looks at one another* *sits on Awesome*

* * *

It was cold that Saturday.

When Rukia left her apartment that morning a cold breeze brushed past her, making her lips chap a little. When she exited the building she could see the orange and brown leaves withering and falling off the nodding trees. A dry, chilling wind was howling. Yes fall had arrived.

The younger Kuchiki pulled up the collar of her jacket as she walked. Today, all she planned to do was take a trip to the market, pick up a few things, and then go back home, curl up with some lemon tea, a good book, and relax. As she walked Rukia had her hands tucked into the front pockets of her sweat shirt and her headphones blaring in her ears. It would have been pointless for her to drive seeing as though the grocery store was right around the corner. It was even better to go early in the morning because most people would be sleeping in.

Just as she predicted the grocery store was almost completely empty. Even the workers were nearly none-existent. Rukia merely exhaled deeply, grabbed a hand basket and went about collecting things that she might need.

_"Let's see, milk, eggs, a stick of butter..."_ She thought, mentally reciting her list, _"Sugar, bread..."_

Rukia was just about to grab a loaf of bread when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. It was another customer at the end of the empty isle and he was staring directly at her. Rukia turned her head to look at him. He was an old man, bald, with a long white beard and matching eyebrows. She smiled warmly at him and continued shopping.

Rukia left the bread isle and went about searching for the milk. Once she found it she placed it in her basket. Again she had a distinct feeling someone was watching her. Turning her head again, she saw the old man. This time he was standing a bit closer to her. Now confused, and a little scared, Rukia turned and told herself not to look at him again.

_"Ok where's the sugar?"_ She thought, the moment she turned down another isle the raven-haired girl nearly collided with the old man. Rukia gave a small terrified shriek as she looked at him.

"I apologize," He said, "I wasn't intending to fright you."

"It...its alright..." Rukia breathed shakily, "But who are you?"

"I am Genryusai Yammamoto," He replied deeply, "I have been mistaken. I thought you were Hisana Kuchiki."

"Well, I'm her younger sister, Rukia." The raven-haired girl explained, "People mistake me for her all the time. Did you...did you know my sister?"

"I knew her husband," Yammamoto answered, "Byakuya Kuchiki."

"Oh, my Nii-sama." Rukia said, Yammamoto nodded.

"He used to work for me. I would see Hisana from time to time. She made your brother very happy." He said, Rukia gave him a soft smile. "I apologize if I have frightened you in any way, I assumed you were Hisana and I simply wanted to say hello."

"It's ok," Rukia told him, she then lowered her eyes. "You must not have heard. My sister passed away a few years ago..."

Yammamoto's bushy eyebrows raised, "I'm so sorry for your loss. Hisana was a good woman."

"Thank you," Rukia said brushing past the old man and grabbing the last thing on her list. Yammamoto looked at her.

"May I help you carry your things?" He asked, "To make up for scaring you?"

"Uh...sure..."

* * *

When Genryusai Yammamoto said he was going to do something he _meant_ it. That old man helped Rukia carry her groceries around the store and home. As they walked back to her apartment building they talked about everything. Yammamoto asked how her brother was doing; Rukia told him that Byakuya was fine. He told her how much she reminded him of Hisana. Rukia explained that people often said that to her. So there they were; two completely different people from two completely different worlds walking down the street, carrying plastic grocery bags, and talking to one another as if they were old friends. When the pair finally reached the building Yammamoto looked up at it and then down at Rukia.

"You live here?" He asked, Rukia nodded. "What a coincidence because as do I."

"Really?" She asked,

"Yes on the first floor..." Yammamoto said arching a bushy, white eyebrow. Beneath his beard the old man's lip was curled in disgust.

"Well, I live on the thirteenth floor," Rukia told him, "I was planning on having a house warming party soon. You're the only other person I know who lives here. Would you like to come?"

Yammamoto shook his head fiercely, "Thank you for the offer. But I refuse to celebrate anything in this cursed building."

"Cursed?" Rukia repeated; Yammamoto looked at her sharply.

"Yes, surely you have heard the stories." He said, Rukia furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head no.

"There have been a lot of accidents here recently. I've lived in this building a very long time and things never happened...until now."

"What things?"

Yammamoto said, "Break-ins, the electricity suddenly going out for now reason, people saying they've seen or heard things while it was dark...and even deaths have occurred here."

Rukia's heart sank to her stomach. "Deaths?"

"Only one..." Yammamoto told her, "That Matsumoto woman...people say she jumped from the tenth floor. I don't believe she jumped. I believe she was pushed."

Rukia listen to the old man's story her breath quickening. Break-ins? Deaths?

Yammamoto looked down at Rukia. His narrowed eyes became needle-like.

"I will tell you this, Rukia Kuchiki," Yammamoto said deeply, "Be vigilant of the people here...I wouldn't want you to get hurt."

Rukia swallowed as the old man handed her the grocery bag. She could distinctly see a small smile under his bushy beard.

"Oh and welcome to the neighborhood."

* * *

Shaken and mortified, Rukia rode the elevator back to her apartment. Everything that Yamamoto had said chilled her to the bone. How could such a nice place be so _dark_? Even walking through the deserted hallways seemed terrifying.

Once Rukia was inside her own home she breathed a sigh of relief. At least now she wouldn't have to be 'vigilant' in her own space. After she put all her groceries away she called her best friend, Orihime Inoue, to see what she thought about this newfound information.

"Somebody died?" Orihime asked in disbelief, "That's awful."

"Yeah I know, weird. She fell from the tenth floor." Rukia explained,

"Holy cow!" Orihime exclaimed on the other line, "Rukia are you sure you feel safe living there? I mean, it's not too late to move back on campus,"

"Forget it, Inoue." The younger Kuchiki said, "Nii-sama is tied to the lease for the next six months. Besides I like having my own place. I just know that scared me a little bit..."

"I would have moved out the minute I heard that," Orihime said, "That's really scary, Rukia."

"Tell me about it," The raven-haired girl said taking a seat on the couch and putting her legs up on the coffee table.

"Are you still gonna have your party?" Orihime asked,

"My housewarming party? Yeah, I might as well. I already bought the ingredients for the cake and everything." Rukia told her,

"I'm still invited right?" Orihime joked, Rukia chuckled.

"Of course you're invited, why wouldn't you be?"

Orihime just laughed on the other line.

"You know I'm kidding Rukia. Do you know who else you're going to invite?"

"I tried inviting my neighbor but he said no, so I guess I'll just invite people from school is all." Rukia told her,

"Hey Rukia?" The girl asked on the line asked, "Can...Can I bring a...a date?"

"Of course you can bring a date!" Rukia exclaimed happily, "I wish I had a date! Who's the lucky guy?"

"It's Uryu! He finally asked me out!"

"That's great! But you'll have to tell me about it later Orihime; I have some homework to catch up on."

"Ok I'll see you at school. Bye Rukia."

"Bye."

With that, Rukia hung up the phone and placed it on the couch next to her. She sighed. Yamamoto's haunting words replayed in the silence of her living room.

_"Be vigilant of the people here..."_

Vigilant? In her own home? That was no way to live. Your house, or apartment in this case, is the one place in the world where you're supposed to feel safe. Secure. Protected. How could a person sleep at night thinking that wasn't possible? And what of that woman? Matsumoto? Surely she jumped...right?

Rising, Rukia made her way over to the balcony doorway. Once she stepped out she looked over the ledge to the ground below. A sinking sensation tied coiling knots in her guts and her body became heavier as she imagined what it might feel like to go plummeting over the side of the building. Rukia swallowed hard. Although she was three floors higher, that was still one hell of a way down...

Rukia had to tear herself away from the balcony and go back inside. Shaking her head, she decided to get started on her homework. Moments later she sat at her desk trying to focus on the history book in front of her. It was impossible to concentrate with the thought that some poor soul had plunged to her death three floors below her. It only made things worse thinking that maybe...maybe it wasn't an accident...

Who was that Matsumoto woman? Why would someone want her dead?

A shiver suddenly slithered down Rukia's spine. These thoughts of death and mystery had shaken her. There was only one sure-fire way to calm down.

A bath.

There was something about hot, steamy water and fluffy, foaming bubbles that soothed the nerves.

* * *

_Hello, what's this...?_

_She was running water in the tub. The sound her turning on the facet caught his attention. At first he was watching Nanao under her sheets, panting, red-faced and murmuring someone's name. It sounded like she was saying Shunsui...for such a quiet, demure girl she did that a lot. _

_But the moment the tender tenant on the thirteenth floor stared running water for a bath, he stopped watching Nanao enjoying herself and turned his attention to Rukia. _

_Something was strange however. _

_When most people take a bath, regardless if they live alone, wouldn't they close the door? That struck him as odd. _

_Whatever thoughts he had going through his mind vanished the moment Rukia pulled her sweatshirt over her head. His eyes sparkled. Then she shimmed out of her jeans. Now his eyes were twinkling were like stars. Slowly she undressed and stepped into the bath. Her body became submerged in the water. It was as if she was teasing him when she lifted one of her small legs out of the water and let it hang over the lip of tub. Just then a milky, white film covered the entire bathroom and the fog blocked out any image her. Dammit! The humidity in the bathroom wreaked havoc on the camera's lens!_

_The only thing he could really see through the fog was the open door. His train of thought returned. Now, why was the door wide open again? He tried zooming in but was still unable to see anything clearly. If he couldn't watch her now, he'd watch the footage of her from earlier. _

_He fiddled with a few things and toggled through a couple of recordings until he found what he was looking for. Ah, there it was..._

_She was talking to someone on the phone. Something about the lease...the whore falling from the tenth floor... a party. Oh, a housewarming party to be exact. Oh why didn't he have phone taps! He could listen in on exactly what was being said! That would open up a treasure chest of secrets for him to discover. He furrowed his eyebrows when he watched her step outside for a few moments and then come back in. Hmmmm...? What was that about? She was pale. And that look on her face... It was definitely one of fear..._

_He toggled through a few more settings; searching for the footage he took of her much earlier. Found it... _

_He frowned. _

_Displeased. Very displeased. He watched the previous footage of the old man and his tender tenant approaching the main doors of the apartment building. That damned Yamamoto! He would have something to do with this! His frown deepened. He listened as that ancient bastard told Rukia the dirty, little secrets of this place. _

_The accidents. _

_The strange occurrences. _

_That whore Matsumoto's death. _

_Damn him! Yamamoto scared her! That's why the door was wide open and Rukia was acting so strange! She was spooked! Paranoid! Everything was going fine before Yamamoto opened his big, fucking mouth! _

_That was the last straw. _

_Yamamoto has got to go. _

To Be Continued...

* * *

**Awesome:** AHHHHH! GET OFF ME YOU STUPID COWS! *struggles*

**Lemony:** MOOOO! HOORAY FOR COWS! *rubs butt on Awesome* HAHAHAHAHAH!

**Wicked:** You know Awesome, I think I like this idea of you being injured. While incapacitated you can't bully us therefore we can do as we bloody please. Calling us bovines is the best you can do?

**Awesome:** *shaking in pain*…you little bastards…I won't be hurt forever…I'll heal and when I do I AM GOING TO BEAT YOUR ASSES TO KINGDOM COME! NOW GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME! YOU'RE HEAVY AND THAT HURTS!

**Lemony:** Actually, I don't wanna be a cow! I wanna be a turkey! COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO! Hehehe, I said cock…

**Wicked:** *rolls eyes* Idiot…REVIEW!

_LIKE us on Facebook_


	5. Chapter 5

**Lemony:** DADDADADA-ADDA, DA, DA CIRCUS, DADDA-ADDA, AFRO! CIRCUS! AFRO! CIRCUS! AFRO! POLKA DOT! POLKA DOT! POLKA DOT! AFRO!

**Wicked:** Lemony...I understand that you are as dumb as you look, but why are you making such a bloody annoying racket?

**Awesome:** *rolls over on the couch* Yeah...come on, what gives? And Meru-64 those pain meds put me to sleep. I was having good dreams. But what I'm trying to figure out is, why the fuck is Lemony singing about an afro?

**Lemony:** I just saw Madagascar 3! HAHAHAHAHA! I LOVE THE AFRO CIRCUS!

* * *

~one week later~

_Hmmm..._

_Something was amiss. The girl on the thirteenth floor was having some problems lately. The poor thing. Recently her car broke down. What a shame, she had to get up at the crack of dawn just to catch the bus to campus. Not to mention the lack of sleep was starting to show on her. He wasn't about to wake up early just to watch her. Instead, he tuned in at night. Nothing interesting would happen though. Little Rukia would just pass out. He felt sorry for her. But, sadly, there wasn't much he could do to help her. Honestly, he wanted to see just how resilient his tender tenant really was..._

* * *

_"This is not my week..."_ Rukia thought dreadfully as she waited by the bus stop a block away from her apartment. The sun wasn't even peaking over the horizon and the dim light of dawn was none-existent. Even the birds had yet to stir. It was almost five in the morning in the middle of October. Not only was it dark, it was freezing. Bitter cold seeped in through the stitches of Rukia's clothes and pinched her skin. Rukia shivered and wrapped her scarf tightly around her throat. Thankfully, she could see the headlights of the bus coming towards her. Finally.

The entire morning the younger Kuchiki was fighting to stay awake. It was a losing battle considering she'd gotten up so early and was running on fumes at this point. There were times where things got difficult; like when her professors began droning on and on about the same old thing. Her text books looked like fluffy pillows in her sleepy mind. In fact, during her history class Rukia could swear she mastered the art of sleeping with her eyes open when she realized that she merely blanked out, not slept.

This was going to be a long day.

And indeed it was long. To Rukia the hours seemed like years and it felt as if her classes would never end. She didn't even have the strength nor will to pick up her pen and take notes, instead she watched her professors pace back and forth, moving their arms spasmodically, and lecturing about their respective subjects.

Then the worst possible thing happened.

CRACK! BOOM!

The sound of the rolling thunder and screeching lightening made Rukia's face drop.

_"You've got to be kidding me..." _She thought dismally. Rain drops falling from the sky and plopping down on earth was the last thing she needed! Rukia turned her head towards the window in the classroom and watched as the water connected with the glass. She frowned.

Was there a reason why fate hated her today?

Because everything had gone downhill from there.

Waiting for a bus is bad. Waiting for a bus in the cold is even worse. Waiting for a bus in the cold and the rain is _absolutely dreadful_. Not to mention she didn't have an umbrella so the sky poured out buckets of rain on her head. She hoped her car would be fixed soon so she'd never have to go through this again. Just when Rukia thought she was drowning the bus arrived. Now all the raven-haired girl had to do was get through work and then she'd be able to pass out at home.

Of course, that was easier said than done.

* * *

When Rukia arrived at the law firm she was greeted by Gin. The fox-faced man was sitting behind his desk looking down into an open file when she came in. He took one look at the younger Kuchiki and his smile faltered slightly.

"Oh dear..." He purred, "You're all wet..."

"_No shit Sherlock…"_ She thought,

Rukia looked up at him and then down at herself. She was soaked from head to toe. Damn that rain. Before she could say anything Gin chuckled.

"I didn't realize it was raining that hard outside," He said, "You poor thing, Rukia. You don't look so good."

Gin was referring to more than her just being wet. Rukia looked awful. There were black rings under her eyes, most likely from lack of sleep. Her skin was pale and rather clammy-looking. Not to mention her nose was beaming like a red Christmas light. Gin arched an eyebrow as his eyes raked over her. Although Rukia looked like a case of walking influenza she was still quiet adorable in to him. Technically this was the first time he'd gotten a good look at her. He hadn't realized how..._small_ she was.

"I haven't been getting much sleep lately," Rukia admitted as she untied her scarf and unzipped her jacket.

"All that college partying keeping you up?" Gin inquired, Rukia smirked and shook her head.

"I'm not a big party-girl, Mr. Ichimaru." She said as she shrugged off her coat, Gin motioned to the nearby closet as a place where she could put it. Rukia opened the closet door and hung her jacket next to a long trench coat. It must've been Gin's.

The silver-haired man's eyebrows drew together in distain; he looked as if he tasted something sour.

"Please Rukia, call me Gin. I don't like the sound of 'Mr. Ichimaru' so much."

"Whatever you say, _Gin_..." Rukia replied trying out the word, it felt very surreal calling a superior by their first name. Being a Kuchiki was she hardwired to use honorifics.

"Well don't say it like that," The fox-faced said, chuckling sarcastically. "Alright, enough of the chit-chat, we've got work to do."

With that, the two set off to work; going through numerous files and reading case notes. It was all horribly boring considering it was tax and real estate law. For Rukia it was even more God awful because this was the most uninteresting thing in the world and she threated to fall asleep right there on Gin's desk! If this internship didn't pay so well, the younger Kuchiki would have seriously reconsidered her choice of occupation. For hours, they read the fine prints of contracts, looked over law books, and skimmed tax information. Rukia would do anything to sleep right now. Hell, she'd sleep on a bed of nails if she had too!

Then, Rukia looked up when Gin stretched his long arms over his head and yawned.

"That was dreadful, and that was only one case." He groaned putting his arms down and pinching the bridge of his nose. A headache was coming on. He glanced at Rukia who looked back at him with sleepy eyes. The raven-haired girl certainly was a focused little thing. She'd managed to stay awake through that ordeal most people called work.

Gin sighed and looked down at his wristwatch. His eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline.

"Oh my, would you look at the time," He said, Rukia quickly took her cellphone from her pants pocket. She looked down and had to do a double take! It was almost ten o'clock at night! So not only had they worked the entire day, they worked _overtime_. Rukia was supposed to leave at seven!

"Oh no I missed the bus..." She muttered, Gin arched an eyebrow when he heard her mumbling.

"Something wrong?" He asked his tone was laced with false concern, Rukia shook her head. Granted she was lying. Taking the bus after nine was usually a bad idea; it only made matters worse that the younger Kuchiki would be coming all the way from downtown. There was no telling what kind of unsavory people she might run into. She could get mugged. Raped. Or Murdered. Karakura Town was a nice place to live, but let's be realistic like any city, it had its share of whack-jobs.

"Well Rukia, I owe you an apology. It wasn't my intention to keep you so long," Gin said his sing-song was voice insincere.

"It's ok, it's not your fault." Rukia said rising and going over to the closet and snatching her coat, "I'm really sorry Mr. Ichimaru but I have to get home. It's late."

"I suppose I'll see you tomorrow then," Gin purred, "Goodbye Rukia."

Rukia gave the silver-haired lawyer a quick nod and scurried from the office without another word. If she hurried she might be able to catch the last bus and make it home!

Gin watched her go, highly amused. That girl was so uptight; she was going to have a heart attack.

He sighed and got ready to leave as well. Then his smirk stretched across his face...

Rukia had dropped something.

* * *

"Wait! Stop!" Rukia called as the bus pulled away from the stop, leaving nothing but a black cloud of exhaust behind. This was great. Just friggin' brilliant! Rukia couldn't stop herself from swearing! This was the cherry on top of a horrible week! No, this week wasn't a horrible; it was a gift from Satan! What else could go wrong?

Rukia sighed as the night rain drenched her. That was the last bus for the night. Now how was she supposed to get home? She could always call Byakuya to come pick her up. Of course she'd get a lecture on how to pay more attention next time. Sighing once more, the raven-haired girl reached into her pants pocket. Her eyes went impossibly wide. Oh no, where was her cellphone?

"For crying out loud," Rukia groaned, she could have dropped her phone anywhere! First her car, then lack of sleep, the stupid rain, staying late for work, and now _this_? She was on the verge of a meltdown when a pair of headlights flashed and it made her look up. Her eyebrows furrowed when a silver Corvette pulled up beside her. Rukia cocked her head when she saw her reflection in the tinted window.

Just then the window went down.

"My, my, what do we have here? A girl lost in the rain?" A familiar voice purred; moments later Rukia saw Gin lean down in the driver seat. "I'm going to start calling you the Wet Intern."

"Oh it's you Mr. Ichimaru...er, I mean Gin." Rukia replied, Gin's smile faltered slightly as he looked from left to right.

"Rukia, tell me you're not waiting for the bus at this time of night...and in _this_ weather." He said,

"I wish I could," The raven-haired girl sighed,

"Let me give you a ride home," Gin suggested; Rukia quickly shook her head. Riding in a car with her employer would be most awkward thing ever! On top of that, she wasn't quite sure how she felt about Gin. Something about him was just..._off_.

"Aww come on, I don't bite." The fox-faced man hummed, "Besides, I simply couldn't live with myself if I left you here."

Rukia sighed for the umpteenth time. He clearly wasn't going to take no for an answer. Then Gin reached into his suit pocket and took out something familiar. A red flip phone.

"Does this look familiar?" He purred,

"My cellphone!" Rukia exclaimed, she tried to take it from him but Gin moved his hand away. Her eyebrows drew together when he denied her the phone. Rukia cocked her head when the silver-haired man flipped it open and started looking at it.

"You have five missed calls from Byakuya, two text messages from Orihime, and an email from Chad. Rukia do you ever answer your phone?" Gin hummed playfully as she continued reaching inside the window in an attempt to grab her phone.

"Hey!" She whined, "Stop it! Stop looking at my phone!"

It was painfully obvious that Gin wasn't going to stop, he kept looking at everything he could, scrolling through the options while Rukia was trying to snatch it away. She was failing miserably.

"Ooohh, let's see what you've got in your photos..." Gin purred teasingly.

That did it.

Rukia jerked the car door open and leaped inside. She swiped her cellphone from Gin, who sat in the driver seat chuckling.

"I thought that might change your mind," He said, his voice as sugary as candy, "Now that I've got you right where I want you, I can take you home. Buckle up."

It only took half of a second for Gin to speed off. Rukia blinked at him for a moment then scowled.

"You tricked me," She growled lowly, Gin's smile stretched and his shoulders went up and down as he chuckled.

"What an astute observation," He hummed letting a tongue slide across his slender lips. "You really shouldn't be so gullible, Rukia. Someone might try to take advantage of you..."

"Oh like you just did?" Rukia shot back arching an elegant eyebrow, Gin glanced her. His smirk grew.

"My, we aren't very friendly..." The silver-haired man purred stopping at a red light.

"You didn't have to trick me," Rukia told him, checking her tone a bit.

"I suppose," Gin said, "But tell me the truth, would you have accepted my ride if I didn't have your cellphone?"

At that moment, he looked down at her, expecting an answer. Rukia thought for a moment.

"Well...honestly...no." She said, "I don't know you all that well."

Here, Gin's smirk nearly touched his ears. "Is that so? Then I suppose there's only one way to fix that. How about we get to know each other?"

Rukia couldn't stop a light pink blush from spreading across her face. She looked ahead at the road. God, this was the longest red light ever...

"I dunno..." Was all Rukia could say, Gin chuckled.

"Let's keep it simple, Rukia. What do you like to do for fun?" He asked, the raven-haired girl looked thoughtful. Honestly she didn't have time for 'fun'. Between work and school, she barely had enough to sleep.

"I don't really do anything for fun, I don't have time."

Gin's smile faltered slightly, "Aw that's too bad."

Then the light finally turned green.

"Rukia do you want to get lost with me?" Gin asked, Rukia furrowed her eyebrows.

"Excuse me?"

"I wouldn't mind it," The fox-faced man chuckled, " I mean, you're not exactly telling me which way to go..."

Rukia let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. For a second there she thought his question meant...well...something else.

"Oh 1313 Sakura street," She told him. Rukia had to grab onto the door handle because Gin made a turn that was as sharp as razor.

He didn't say a word for the rest of the ride. From time to time Rukia would look out of the corner of her eye at him. This man was so strange...

The younger Kuchiki was relieved when she made it back to her apartment in one piece. She wondered how in the hell Gin got his license. He screeched to a stop in front of the building then turned to Rukia, his smirk stretching.

"You live here?" He asked arching an interested eyebrow, "Rukia, do you know what people say about this place?"

"I've heard some stuff, but I don't believe it." Rukia said defiantly poking out her chin, Gin merely chuckled.

"You're either very brave or very foolish..." He said under his breathe. Rukia didn't hear him instead she bid her silver-haired employer a hasty goodbye and leaped from his car as if it was on fire. Gin waited patiently until he saw Rukia go inside. He shook his head.

"Very brave or very foolish, indeed..."

Then he sped off.

"He is so weird..." Rukia murmured as she entered the building. At last! She was home and she could put this horrible day behind her!

Now it was time for bed, however he wouldn't be watching tonight.

Tonight, he'd find a way to take care of Yamamoto.

To be Continued…

* * *

**Lemony:** Just creating some initial contact between Rukia and Gin, I spared Yama-Jii in this chapter for Shay Candy's sake…but I want him dead already! Mark my words, his days are numbered! His old ass is grass in a few more chapters...

**Wicked:** Idiot. I have no time to worry about your stories. My Mistress's birthday is on Halloween and I have to find a costume. I can't afford to dress too extravagantly. My Mistress will get drunk as always and I'll have to carry her to her room and of course she'll yell at me in Italian, and I'll yell back in German. *shakes head* If I didn't love that woman I'd leave her in a puddle of her own vomit. Love is a poison that kills slowly.

**Awesome:** Lucky bastard, at least you'll be doing something. The goddamned doctor said it would be better for me to stay home on Halloween. What the fuck does she know? …*mutters* Fucking muscle tears. This is bullshit!...REVIEW!


	6. Chapter 6

**Lemony:** *pacing deep in thought* Don't mind me readers, my brain is not here right now…but enjoy the chappy…

* * *

_The tape was rolling. The film was recording. The cameras were the room's eyes, focused on anything with a pulse. The microphones became the wall's ears and they listened in on everyone's conversation. He was at the command center of it all. He chuckled arrogantly when he thought of himself as the brain. _

_He saw everything._

_Parties were always the best to watch because someone was always doing something. The best parties were the ones with alcohol, he loved watching people get rip-roaring drunk and make complete fools of themselves. It was all good fun. However this particular party was being hosted by the tender tenant on the thirteenth floor. He'd only really seen her reading or sleeping. He was beginning to lose hope for her and began to think she was as boring as the building manager. Well, all that changed when people started showing up. Never once did he think she was going to have this little get together. Even when she mentioned it on the phone to her friends. Also perhaps 'little' was the wrong word. Hmmm maybe he should join in the festivities. He'd like to go up there and have a little fun…Maybe, just maybe, even have a dance with her…this would be interesting. _

_Very interesting. _

* * *

Rukia didn't think she'd have such a huge turnout for her housewarming party. She'd already had a good number of people showing up; but then they brought dates, others brought friends, and then there was the party crashers who brought even more people! Although it really wasn't so bad, Rukia was acquainted with most of the people and they weren't trying to destroy her place. They were all having conversations, or simply listening to the music coming from the stereo.

The raven-haired girl was talking to her friends Orihime and Tatsuki at the time.

"Nice place, Rukia." Tatsuki said nodding her head in approval.

"Yeah, its bigger than I thought," Orihime added, Rukia shrugged humbly.

"I didn't think it was that big when I first saw it." The younger Kuchiki replied.

Then Tatsuki scowled at something.

"Oh no," She groaned, "Look who's here. It's Uliqourra and his cronies."

Both Rukia and Orihime followed Tatsuki's line of vision until they locked onto the group of boys across the room. Surely enough, Szayel, Uliqourra, and Grimmjow were staring back at them; Szayel and Grimmjow were smirking smugly, of course.

"Nice party, Kuchiki!" Grimmjow called nastily, raising the plastic cup in his hand cockily. Rukia rolled her eyes so hard she almost gave herself a headache. She didn't invite them in the first place! Damn crashers. She was about to march over there and say something rude but the sound of someone at the door caught her attention. She excused herself to go open it.

Navigating through the party was easier said than done; people were constantly trying to stop her to have a conversation or quick dance. Rukia managed to squeeze and push through everyone. She was relieved when she finally made it to the door. When she opened it Rukia greeted her ex-boyfriend, Ichigo Kurosaki.

"Ichigo," She said embracing her friend, "I'm so glad you made it!"

Ichigo somberly returned the hug, "Thanks for the invite."

Ichigo and Rukia dated for a brief time about a year ago but broke off the relationship shortly before his mother died. They both figured their personalities were too conflicting and they were better off as friends. Rukia wanted a stable, comfortable relationship. Ichigo, on the other hand, wanted a fly-by-night fling. Their young age and differences in maturity also contributed to ending their rocky relationship.

Young love. How unpredictable.

But, their relationship didn't end on a bad note like most people their age. Quite the opposite in fact. They both decided, in sweet words, that it simply wouldn't work. Besides, there was no bad blood between them so their romantic relationship may have ended abruptly but their friendship was still solid as stone.

Rukia let go of Ichigo and then glanced behind him.

"Hey, where's Hichigo? I said he could come too," Rukia asked, Ichigo just shrugged.

"He said he had something better to do."

Rukia sighed inwardly. She was actually thankful Hichigo hadn't shown up. Ichigo's twin brother was a wild child and would have turned her place and her party on its head. The girl stepped aside and allowed Ichigo to come in. His expression remained neutral.

"So this is your place now, eh?" He asked, his brown eyes sliding from one side of the room to the other.

"Yeah." Rukia breathed gazing at it, "Do you like it?"

Ichigo shrugged once more. Rukia studied him for a moment; he was staring soberly at her apartment. It almost seemed like he could see something no one else could.

"Ichigo?" She asked, "What's the matter?"

"Nothing." The orange-haired young man replied shortly. He then reached inside his back pocket and took out an envelope. He gave it to Rukia. "I didn't know what kind of housewarming gift to get, so I figured cash would work."

Rukia smiled at him. Hell, money was the gift that kept on giving! She gladly took it from him.

"Thanks I'll just sit this on the gift table."

She left Ichigo alone and made her way over to the gift table. Of course, Rukia wasn't silly enough to leave envelopes full of cash sitting around, so instead she put Ichigo's envelope into a larger, manila envelope containing other money and stashed it beneath a blender someone had purchased as a gift.

All the while, _his_ cameras were rolling.

Once the gift situation was taken care of, Rukia mingled about her party. She couldn't believe she was actually enjoying herself. The younger Kuchiki was talking to everybody, including the crashers, and generally having a good time. She left a certain group of party crashers to go answer the door once again.

"Grimmjow! Don't drink all of my soda!" Rukia called over her shoulder as she approached the door. Grimmjow shot her a look and defiantly cracked open another can of strawberry pop. Rukia scowled at him as her lips drew together in a tight frown. She shook her head and answered the door.

Before she could catch herself her face fell.

Who should be standing at her front door but everybody's favorite fox-faced man, Gin Ichimaru.

"Good evening my dearest Rukia," He purred, "You look well tonight. I'm surprised to see you dry."

Rukia blinked at him.

"Mr. Ichimaru?" She asked cocking her head, "What are you doing here?"

"A little birdie told me you were having a get together this evening." He said; his words masked in amusement, "I just thought I'd drop by."

Rukia was speechless. To her, Gin had just scored a ten on the Richter scale of creepiness.

She considered him for a second. Rukia couldn't very well turn him away, after all. He was her _boss_. That could create unnecessary tension at work and that was the last thing she wanted. She studied him a moment longer, the indecisiveness was written across her face. He was wearing a blue suit with a silver tie that matched his hair. Needless to say he was slightly overdressed for what was supposed to be a casual affair. He had his hands behind his back and was smirking down at her. God, he was so weird.

Swallowing, Rukia said, "Won't you please come in?"

Gin didn't say a word, instead he slinked inside with the grace of a snake and stood toe to toe with Rukia. She leaned back slightly. This still terribly uncomfortable.

"Um…please, Mr. Ichimaru…make yourself at home…" She said rather shakily,

Gin merely chuckled. Suddenly, he placed his long forefinger under her chin and made forced her head upwards.

"Gin." He told her, "Call me Gin."

Rukia nodded and stared, wide-eyed, at Gin's twisted grin. She froze when she stared at those narrowed slits he called eyes. She could see a spark inside of them; it was a deep red glimmer that hid a sinister glow. His smirk grew as she looked into his eyes…

Rukia was snatched away from Gin's hypnotic stare when Tatsuki grabbed her shoulder.

"Rukia! Get over here!" Tatsuki demanded, "Grimmjow is going to through your fridge!"

The raven-haired girl scowled immediately and broke away from Gin; she stormed through the party with her fists clenched at her sides.

"Grimmjow! Get the hell outta my kitchen!"

Gin simply smiled, mildly amused by this. Rukia certainly was a different person when she was outside the office. Then again, everyone was. Still, he was pleased to see she wasn't as cold and aloof as she appeared to be. Now standing alone, the fox-faced lawyer decided to do what he did best: disappear into the crowd.

* * *

"You really don't have any manners, do you?" Rukia ranted as she shoved Grimmjow out of the kitchen, "I swear the nerve of some people!"

"Ah bite me, Kuchiki." Grimmjow spat, purposely leaning all his weight back as she pushed him. He was heavy as hell. The blue-haired crasher glanced behind him at Rukia. She was turning red from her efforts.

"You know," He said, "Shouldn't I be the one pushing from behind?"

Rukia's expression morphed in disgust. "You freaking wish, Grimmjow!"

Once she'd successfully ejected that blue-haired pain in her ass from the kitchen, Rukia rejoined the party.  
The entire time she made sure to keep on an eye on Gin. He was actually behaving well. The fox-faced man was standing near the stereo with his hands in his pockets, leaning against the wall. Rukia couldn't fight back a small smirk. Well, it would seem her big, bad boss was just a silver-haired wallflower. He really wasn't bothering anyone and nobody was bothering him. Good. Rukia figured it'd be best to leave him alone. She decided to go talk to Ichigo and Renji.

"Hey guys. Enjoying the party?" Rukia asked as she approached the pair. They both smirked at her.

"I would be if I didn't have to listen to your girly music." Renji joked, "If I hear Moves Like Jagger one more time I'm gonna lose it."

"I'm with Renji on this one, midget." Ichigo added, smiling down at her. "Your music sucks."

"You guys are such jerks!" Rukia chuckled, playfully stamping her dainty foot. "It's my party and I'll play what the heck I want. My iPod is on shuffle anyway."

As if on cue, the stereo started blaring Moves Like Jagger. Both Ichigo and Renji let out agonized groans.

"That's it, I'm gonna lose it…" Renji said, shaking his head.

"I'm changing that damn song…" Ichigo whispered lowly, Rukia glared at him.

"If you touch my iPod I'm going to tear off your arm and beat you with it!"

The orange-haired young man didn't listen. Instead he pushed and shoved his way through other party guests, hurrying to get to the stereo. Rukia chased after him, reaching her small arms out in attempt to capture that boy! Nothing ruined a party faster than someone constantly messing with the music!

"Got'cha!"

When Rukia finally caught up with him she wrapped her arms around him. Something wasn't right though…Ichigo had stopped moving entirely. The younger Kuchiki looked up at her friend, he was glaring dead ahead.

"Ichigo?" She asked, "What's the-"

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Ichigo growled, Rukia looked forward. All the color drained out of her face when she saw he was cursing at her boss! Of all the horrible things to happen why this!

"Oh, if it isn't Ichigo Kurosaki…" Gin's sly voice purred, "I didn't think I'd be seeing you again."

"You thought wrong you stupid freaking-ass clown!" Ichigo spat, he said it loud enough for a few people at the party to look their direction. Rukia was sweating bullets now!

"I'm happy to see you too, Ichigo." The fox-faced man hummed sarcastically.

"You fucking-!"

Before Ichigo could finished that sentence Rukia spun him around and glared worriedly at him.

"Ichigo! Shut up! That's my boss you're talking to!" She hissed between gritted teeth, Ichigo looked at her, the disbelief was etched in his face.

"You…you work for him, Rukia?" He uttered,

"Yes! Now shut up before you get me fired!"

At this point, almost everyone was watching the heated exchange between the three of them. The noise level in the room would have disappeared entirely if it wasn't for the stereo still going. Ichigo looked at Rukia, his eyes had softened. He glanced over his shoulder at Gin and scowled blackly. Without a word he stepped away from the both of them, brushing past his ex and other silent guests.

Rukia's entire body relaxed once he decided to be the bigger man and walk away. Voice volume slowly returned to the room as what would have been a fight deescalated.

"I'm so sorry for my friend Mr. Ichimaru…" Rukia began turning to her silver-haired employer.

"No need to apologize, Rukia. I won't hold Ichigo's childish behavior against you …to be honest, I kind of expected it. He's so very predictable." Gin purred, Rukia looked at him quizzically.

"So…you and Ichigo…know each other?"

"Yes," Gin hummed, almost too cheerfully, "We're old friends."

Rukia eyed him steadily. She knew he was being sarcastic, of course. The raven-haired girl doubted she'd get much out of him regarding her orange-haired ex-boyfriend, but curiosity was ready to play its hand. Rukia fought against it. She choose to leave well enough alone. They didn't fight and that's all that mattered.

"I think I've overstayed my welcome," Gin announced approaching the raven-haired girl. He was standing uncomfortably close to her again. The silver-haired man slipped his hand into Rukia's and stared down at her with those spellbinding eyes. He was gently squeezing her hand, the warmth of his flesh told Rukia this was real. "Thank you for having me."

"You're…you're welcome Mr. Ichimaru…" Rukia's voice sounded a million miles away even though she was standing an inch away from him.

"_Gin_, darling. My name is _Gin_…"

Then he let go of her hand, slinked past her, and saw his way to the door. Rukia watched him go totally unaware of a light pink blush creeping across her cheeks. That man obviously didn't believe in personal space and had no problem getting incredibly close to people. When Rukia was sure he left, she began to search the party for Ichigo.

They needed to have a talk.

She looked for him for all of five minutes before she found him standing outside on the balcony, glaring down at the street below. Ichigo's brown eyes were following a head of silver hair walking down the sidewalk and approaching a silver corvette. His expression was black as sin as he watched the car pull away from the curb. He prayed another vehicle would come out of nowhere crash into that smiling bastard! Ichigo's eyebrows were drawn together and his lip was curled in a tight sneer. He hated that man. Truly _hated_ him.

"Ichigo?" Rukia said approaching him cautiously, Ichigo didn't move a muscle.

"Ichigo?" She repeated, this time the orange-haired young man's head turned slightly. The dark look on his face made Rukia stop momentarily, frozen in uncertainty.

"So you work for the devil, eh Rukia?" Ichigo snarled, his voice was dripping in acid. To say he was in a foul mood would be an understatement. Her friend was positively livid.

"Who? Gin?" Rukia asked; Ichigo's teeth clenched when that name reached his ears. "Yeah, remember when I told you about my new job. He's my supervisor..."

"I feel sorry for you." He spat, "That man is fucking _evil_."

"What are you talking about?" She then asked, her expression turning deadly serious.

"Rukia, remember when my mom died?" Ichigo asked turning to her, the rage on his face was enough to make Rukia take a step back. He only wore that look when he was getting ready to fight somebody. Ichigo would never hurt Rukia in a psychical manner, but he was infamous for lashing out at people. Contrary to popular belief, words do hurt and Ichigo knew how to inflict the maximum amount of pain when he spoke angrily. Even if he wasn't intending to. He could end up upsetting Rukia without intending to. Ichigo tried to keep his anger in check...but his blood was boiling.

Rukia did remember when Ichigo's mom died. It happened a year ago. Ichigo didn't talk much about it...just something about a girl by a river and then waking up with his mother on top of him covered in blood. Those were the only details he'd mention to people, but once they heard that they knew to drop the subject.

"Yeah, I remember..." Rukia replied carefully, she recalled Ichigo skipping school to go stand by the river all day and all night. Tatsuki was the one who told her about that. He was so distant...so cold...he shut out everyone for a time but slowly opened up again. That was such a dark time for young Ichigo. He just wasn't the same anymore.

"We fell on hard times after that..." Ichigo said lowly, his eyes flickering down to Rukia. "My father was still trying to adjust to being a single parent with four kids to feed and a clinic run..."

Rukia remained silent.

"My dad was struggling to run the clinic and pay the bills..." The orange-haired young man continued, his face black. "And support me, Hichigo, Karin, and Yuzu. I went with my dad to see about the clinic one day only to find the bank had put a lock on it! They shut down the place! Repossessed it! They took my families only means of surviving, Rukia! And that...that...silver fucker was the one behind it all!"

"Ichigo think about what you're saying," Rukia said sagely, "Gin is a real estate and tax attorney. He was probably just doing his job..."

"That's a goddamned lie." Ichigo seethed, "He fucking enjoyed what he was doing, Rukia. That sick bastard gets off on that sort of thing! He likes seeing people helpless! My family had to fight tooth and nail to get the clinic back! It's like he was trying to ruin us... "

Rukia fell silent.

"Work for him long enough Rukia and you'll see..." He growled lowly, "Nobody knows anything about him. _You_ don't know anything about him. But I do...don't let that smile fool you. Don't believe any of his lies. He's shady, sneaky, and conniving Rukia. You'll see..."

He didn't say another word, instead the orange-haired young man brushed past his ex and stormed back inside, bumping into guests as he did so. Nobody tried to stop him. Everyone knew when Ichigo got hot like that it was best to leave him alone. Rukia stood on the balcony, looking down at her feet. Guilt washed over her like a tidal wave...had she known Gin would cause such a stir she wouldn't have let him in. Oh well, the damage was already done. She'd give her ex twenty-four hours to cool off before talking to him again.

Hanging her head, Rukia walked over to the edge of the balcony. She looked at the ground below. The younger Kuchiki could see some people walking outside the building. It wasn't long before she saw a head of spiky carrot-colored hair march from the main doors of the building. She sighed.

Great, not only did she have to worry about Gin she'd be concerned about Ichigo.

What a night.

* * *

The party slowly died down as people began leaving with the groups they came with. For once a party ended without someone saying "You don't have to go home but you gotta get the hell outta here". Now here she was, all alone, tying up one of three plastic trash bags filled with garbage from the party. Rukia had already swept the floor, made sure nothing had turned up missing, and went through a mental checklist to be sure her apartment was in order. Everything was fine as far as she knew.

Rukia grinned when she looked towards the gift table.

Although most people gave her money there was still a lot of interesting stuff there; someone gave her a blender, some pretty paper lanters, a sewing kit, a plastic plant (she was going to kill whoever gave her such an awful gift), an untold number of glass figurines, and finally an envelope full of money. Rukia went over to the table and removed the manila envelope full of money from beneath the blender. Her grin was even bigger than Gin's; it was as thick as a bible. Rukia made a mental note to have parties more often. Satisfied with her gifts, the raven-haired girl began the tiring process of lugging the boxes into the kitchen so that she could push her coffee table back where it belonged. She lifted the heavy blender and heard something tumble off the table.

"For crying out loud..." Rukia muttered looking down, she cocked her head when she saw what hit the floor. A medium sized, brightly wrapped box with an ice-blue bow tied on it. Curiosity had gotten the best of her and she decided to open the gift. Placing the blender on the ground, Rukia picked up the colorful package and examined it. Hmm...it didn't say who it was from. Rukia cautiously untied the bow and flipped the lid open. Her eyebrows drew together in confusion when she looked into the box.

It was a pair of black binoculars.

Carefully removing them, Rukia checked to make sure there was nothing else in the box. There was something sitting at the bottom; a folded piece of paper. She took it out and read it.

_Take A Look_

The note was printed in Times New Roman size twelve font, not handwritten. She wondered why someone go to the length of not revealing their handwriting. The gears in Rukia's mind were spinning as she studied the binoculars. What kind of gift was this? More importantly, who was it from? Still, it was interesting enough to look into. Rukia had an idea and decided to go outside onto the balcony.

She stood near the edge and slowly brought the binoculars to her eyes. Her mouth slowly fell open when she realized she could see the entire city! The younger Kuchiki moved her head from left to right, looking at the cars on the street and the people walking around. Tilting her head upwards, Rukia looked at some the building around. She could see directly into people's windows.

_"Great, now I'm a peeping tom..."_ Rukia thought, chuckling to herself. That thought became a reality when Rukia looked into the apartments across the street from her own. There, in a dimly lit bedroom, she could see a young couple rolling around their bed, naked, obviously enjoying each other. She swallowed hard and quickly removed the binoculars from her eyes. A deep red blush covered most of her face at what she saw. Rukia blinked a few times, took a deep breath and went back inside. Whoever bought her those binoculars must've been playing a joke.

He certainly wasn't laughing. He watched her enjoying his gift while stroking his chin thoughtfully.

This night truly was interesting.

To Be Continued...

* * *

**Lemony:** Now we're cooking with fire lol. This chapter was extra long so please ignore the mistakes. Hope you enjoyed the chappy now if you'll excuse me…*plops down on Thinkin' Mat*…REVIEW!


	7. Chapter 7

**Wicked:** This is uncanny. I'm not quite sure how to say this readers, but I believe everyone's dearest dim-witted smut writer has become catatonic.

**Awesome:** *waves hand in Lemony's face* Lemony...? LEMONY! You've been sitting on that rug staring into space for days, what the fuck are you thinking about!

**Lemony:** *sitting on Thinkin Mat* *not listening* YES! No...down? I is confused...

**Wicked:**...no, you're a simpleton.

**Awesome:** I'm gonna count to one and if your ass isn't off that rug I'm going to kick it!

* * *

Yamamoto was old.

When you get to be his age, you become senile. For Genryusai Yamamoto, however, nothing could be farther from the truth. Yamamoto was aware of everything around him. Almost in a constant state in hyper-vigilance. His senses were extremely acute, especially when he was inside this cursed building. There was something very wrong with this place and he knew it. The problem is, Yamamoto figure out _what_! Like a sixth sense, the old man could feel that there was something in walls of the entire building. Something living but not living, giving off a synthetic pulse. It was watching him…every second of every day…it was always around. Watching. Waiting. However, whatever it was, never acted…

The old man asked himself why he didn't just move out. The thought had crossed his mind more than once but then he asked himself, why should he? Genryusai's stubbornness was the what answered that question. He paid his rent on time. He was a good neighbor. He kept to himself. He hadn't done anything wrong. Why should he leave? Well, not anymore. Yamamoto made the decision last night. He _had_ to get out of this place.

Yamamoto sat at his kitchen table, sipping his bitter coffee. This was how his mornings usually went. Since he'd retired the old man woke up at six, drunk coffee while he read the paper, then took a shower, and finally left for the day. Yamamoto's routine never changed; one might think it was set in stone because he followed it religiously. This morning in particular was different because instead of reading the front page news Yamamoto was skimming the classifieds looking for other apartments. His lease was finally up and he wanted to find a new place to live as quickly as possible. That way, he wouldn't have to spend another night in this cursed building. Yamamoto had taken a red, fine-point Sharpie and began circling ads containing information on other places. Once he found a one he could start packing up.

Yamamoto looked up at the microwave to check the time. Damn, it was 6:31; he was a minute off schedule. That meant his shower would be a minute shorter.

Little did he know, this would be the last morning he spent alive.

* * *

Rukia received a call from Byakuya last night. He told her he would drive her to school and take her to work today. Of course, Rukia was extremely pleased that she didn't have to wake up before the roosters to catch the bus. So, when morning finally rolled around the younger Kuchiki woke up with a smile on her face. It was refreshing to wake up to sunlight beaming down on your face instead of the annoying blare of an alarm clock. Rukia practically floated through her morning routine because she wasn't being dragged down by exhaustion. It was a good feeling.

The raven-haired girl left her apartment at exactly ten o'clock. When she got downstairs to meet Byakuya she was surprised to see he wasn't there. Hm, he was unusually so punctual. Rukia looked up and down the street, searching for her older brother's car.

Moments later…

_Vrooom!_

A snow-white Porsche rounded the corner and pulled up in front of her. Rukia let a low whistle when she saw her refection in the shiny tinted windows. While the raven-haired girl admired the nice car her brother stepped from the driver seat. Rukia looked up at him and she knew immediately what he'd done.

_"Nii-sama…you didn't…"_ She thought, to her dismay Byakuya was looking back at her surreptitiously.

"Good morning Rukia," He said rather coldly,

"Morning…" She replied not taking her eyes of the flashy car. Byakuya drove a dark blue Benz not a moon-white Porsche. So that could only mean one thing...

"Nii-sama, whose car is this?" Rukia asked already knowing the answer to her question.

"Yours."

The elder Kuchiki coolly tossed his sister a set of jingling keys. Rukia fumbled with them before clutching them in her tiny hands.

"But…but Nii-sama, what about my old car?" She asked as she stared at the keys in her palms. Byakuya seemed to glare at her and his steely eyes hardened.

"I never like that trash you called a car." He replied icily, "You should only want for the best. I am your bother so I'll provide it for you. You are a Kuchiki. It's time to start acting like it. Be grateful otherwise you'll find yourself back on the bus…"

Rukia blanched and lowered her eyes. "Yes Nii-sama…"

Byakuya was right, unfortunately. Kuchiki's never settled for less especially when it came to material possessions. It was a direct reflection of their wealth. Rukia's old crummy, little shell of a car was unfit for a noble to drive…at least that's what most of her 'family' thought. She explained to them that she was proud of it because she bought it with money she earned herself. It may have been an old car, it may have been basic, but it was _hers_.

Byakuya could care less.

Rukia's eyes washed over the new sports car for a moment. She thought about her brother's proposition. Drive a Porsche…or ride the bus. It wasn't a hard decision for Rukia, although she knew by accepting this she was allowing Byakuya to rob her of her independence. Again.

* * *

That day, Rukia felt awkward riding around in her new car. It was like breaking in a new pair of shoes: it was always uncomfortable at first but one adjusts. She still didn't appreciate Byakuya forcing it on her though. He muttered something about accepting it as a housewarming gift. Well, it was hers now…even though she took it begrudgingly.

Although, Rukia would admit riding around campus in a snazzy sports car was fun, particularly when she passed by stunned classmates. Things were looking up for her.

She breezed through her classes and even made time to study. It's amazing how a good night's sleep and new car can change a person's mood. Her day just flowed by like silk in the wind. Before she knew it, it was time for her to report to work. As she drove downtown, Rukia passed by the bus stop and couldn't fight off a cocky grin. Never again would she have to wait for or ride that cesspool on wheels most people call a bus.

The younger Kuchiki arrived at the office building in high spirits, feeling like she could tackle a few cases herself today. Yes, today had been _that_ great. Uneventful, but great. When she entered Gin's suite she was greeted by his secretary.

"Good afternoon Rukia," She said, smiling at the girl, "Mr. Ichimaru is not in today, but he left a list of things for you to do on his desk."

"Not in?" Rukia repeated curiously, "Well alright, thank you."

The secretary nodded at her and Rukia passed by her desk, turned down the long narrow hall, and into Gin's office. Needless to say it felt awkward just prancing into someone else's private work space while they weren't there. Normally Gin was sitting behind his desk, grinning from ear to ear, and ready to engage in meaningless small talk. But not today.

Rukia went over to his desk and looked down at the note there. It read:

_Dear Rukia, _

_I'm so sorry I had to leave you lonely today, but I'm afraid something has come up that requires my immediate attention. I may be away from the office for a few days so I took the liberty of making a list of things for you to do. Just follow it and you shouldn't be bored, but then again this work boring on its own. _

_Sincerely, _

_Gin. _

Rukia's eyes moved from left to right as she read the note; beneath it was short list of things Gin needed her to do. He'd only given her busy work such as organizing case files, highlighting fine prints, and…sharpening his pencils? That had to be a joke. Rukia sighed and started her work; she choose to begin with organizing case files, since that took the most time. The younger Kuchiki figured she had to sort the files Gin had sitting out on his desk. They were thrown together in random order so Rukia had to alphabetizing them. A few minutes into rearranging files something caught her attention. On a yellow folder at the bottom of the stack there was a name that she recognized.

Matsumoto, Rangiku.

Wasn't that same woman who died in her building? Curiosity played its hand once again, and Rukia opened the file and peeked inside. It didn't contain much; just a coroner's report and a few police statements. Rukia decided to read the coroner's report first. Matsumoto was five-eight, a hundred and twenty-six pounds, and her death…a suicide. Then the raven-haired girl looked at the police reports, according to some of the people living in the building foul play was involved…

Rukia didn't know it but she had unconsciously wrapped her arms around herself. It seemed as though everyone in her building thought this woman's death was murder not suicide. She continued reading the police reports…there was no forced entry and the evidence was limited. She wished this file could shed more light on the subject. Then Rukia thought of something.

Why would Gin have _this_?

This specific file had nothing to do with tax or real estate. More questions rose in Rukia's mind as she pondered that. Somehow her thoughts shifted to Ichigo and about what he'd said at her party.

_"Don't believe any of his lies. He's shady, sneaky, and conniving Rukia. You'll see..."_

A cold sensation gripped her stomach as she flopped down behind Gin's desk. Her eyebrows were drawn together in thought and her face remained neutral.

"Who do I really work for?" She asked herself, examining the rest of the paperwork.

That was a very good question… with the way things were going, she'd have her answer soon.

* * *

Rukia was thankful to finally be free of Gin's office. As she tried to work that file kept haunting her! Finally she just shoved it deep inside one of the desk drawers. It was still haunting her while she drove home.

As she turned the corner onto her block, splashes of red and blue lights illuminated the night. Rukia pulled off into a side street and parked. When she got and approached the seen she saw two police cars, an ambulance, and a throng of spectators. As she pushed her way to the front of the crowd a police officer held her back.

"I'm sorry ma'am, I can't let you through."

"But I live here," Rukia told him urgently, the officer looked at her consideringly for a moment then grabbed her by the arm. He brought her up to the front and they ducked under the yellow police tape. What was going on? Why were the police here? These questions and more ran through Rukia's mind as she was given a police escort into the and reports were crowded around, throwing questions her way.

"How long have you lived here?!"

"Is it scary staying here at night?"

"This is the second death in over a year? How do you feel about that?"

Second death?

Once inside Rukia saw the building manger chatting with some uniformed officers. The stub of a man was shaking while anxiously twiddling with his fingers. When the officers left Rukia approached him.

"What going on?" She demanded the building manager, "Oh Miss Kuchiki, you shouldn't concern yourself with it." He blubbered, his brow slicked with sweat. "I'm afraid its Yamamoto…he's…he's…he's had an accident…"

"What?!" Rukia cried in utter disbelief, "I just saw him a week or two ago, what happened?"

"Apparently he fell in the shower this morning. He hit his head. Oh my, you poor thing," The manager said, "It's scary though isn't it…one day a person is alive and well…but then the next…" The mangers eyes flickered down sadly for moment. He then looked up at the main doors and frowned fretfully.

"I'm sorry I have to go deal with the press…good night Miss Kuchiki,"

Rukia's mouthed moved for a moment but no words came out. This was unbelievable.

Yamamoto was dead.

To Be Continued...

* * *

**Lemony:** *sitting on Thinkin Mat* Curious...no...YES!

**Awesome:** Ok! That's it! One! *gets ready to strangle my little fucking sister*

**Wicked:** *holds Awesome back* Wait! This is a good thing, she's hasn't moved in days therefore she hasn't gotten on our nerves.

**Awesome:**...point taken.

**Lemony:** NO! Yes...*scratches head* no...AFLAC!

**Awesome:** Alright, now she's getting on my nerves...REVIEW!


	8. Chapter 8

**Lemony:** Once again readers, my brain is on vacation. I wrote this chapter in a hurry so please ignore any mistakes, enjoy. Also, its VITAL that you pay close attention in recent chapters because they're gonna start running together. Mkay that's it from me!

* * *

_He wasn't watching her today. Although the tender tenant on the thirteenth floor had become his favorite pastime, things were much more interesting around the building. All of its occupants were buzzing about the death of the oh-so wonderful Yamamoto. They all felt so terrible about the whole thing. However he didn't feel that way. He quirked his lips. Oh please, that old man was a pest. He got what was coming to him. Good riddance. Nonetheless, this was a bad situation. The police were running in and out of the building, reporters were snooping around, and some residents took it upon themselves to examine every nook and cranny of their apartments; searching for something that he believed was too well hidden for anyone to find. __Or so he hoped. _

_He pinched the bridge of his nose. _

_This was terrible. He didn't get this much backlash when the whore Matsumoto went flying off the side of the building. He sighed tiredly. _

_It was time for damage control. _

* * *

The morning after Yamamoto's death was hectic. The building manager succeeded in getting the police to chase off the story-hungry press. Some were so determined to get the scoop they snuck into the building and started irritating the residents with their questions. Silly people, didn't they realize the residents only knew as much about the old man's death as they did? Thankfully the building manager got brazen reports promptly arrested for trespassing. Luckily they didn't make it to the thirteenth floor.

"Several people responded in shock today at the sudden death of Genryusai Yamamoto," The newscaster on the TV screen said as Rukia stood outside on the balcony listening to it. She was peering into the pair of binoculars, she wasn't looking at anything in particular, just day-gazing. "Yamamoto, age 90, reportedly fell in the shower yesterday. What would have been written off as an accidental death may now be considered a homicide."

Rukia took the binoculars away from her eyes and went back inside. She turned the TV up and listened.

"Some of the building's residents are screaming foul play in the matter. Previous incidents can support their claims considering this is the second death, with mysterious circumstances, in little more than a year. The first death being Rangiku Matsumoto, age 23, plunging from the tenth floor."

The newscaster continued, "The police have yet to determine if Yamamoto's death bore any connection to that of Matsumoto's. The only similarities between the two are that both deaths occurred in this building behind me. The owner of the building could not be reached for questioning. More on the Haunted High-Rise of Karakura town at nine…"

Rukia clicked off the TV and went back outside onto the balcony. She put the binoculars back to her eyes and peered over the ledge. She saw a number of spectators standing behind yellow "_POLICE LINE-DO NOT CROSS_" police tape. Shifting her vision she saw the newscaster she'd just seen on TV and the camera man loading equipment into the back of a van. Scanning the ground from her bird's eye view, Rukia also saw a slew of other reports being held at bay by uniformed police. It was a regular media circus out there. The younger Kuchiki wasn't surprised; Karakura town had never seen anything such as this. Two people, living in the same place, die suddenly and mysteriously. It had all the makings of thriller movie. Anyone who didn't live at 1313 Sakura street would just write them off as a suicide and an accident, but people on the inside, the people who laid their heads in this cursed building, thought otherwise. It didn't make any sense! Two deaths only a year apart! In the same place! Why weren't the police doing anything about this? The answer to that was very simple: lack of evidence. People could scream foul play until they were blue in the face, but with no proof there was nothing the authorities could do. So the residents were forced to live in an uneasy silence.

Rukia sighed and rolled her eyes. She had class in an hour and it was going to be hell trying to leave today.

* * *

Just as she predicted getting out of the building was hell. She had to have a police escort just to get to her car! Those reporters were like sharks that'd just sniffed out a fresh kill. No pun intended. It seemed like no matter where Rukia went that day people were asking her about Yamamoto's death.

"So what happened to him? Do you know, Rukia?" Orihime asked as they left their last class.

"The manager said he fell in the shower and hit his head." Rukia told her, "And that's all I know."

Orihime looked worried. "Rukia, I really think you should move back on campus, or at least stay with your brother for a while. I heard on the news that the old guys death wasn't an accident! I heard he was killed!"

"Come Orihime," Rukia said looking at her skeptically, "You and I both know the news blows everything out of proportion. It was an accident and I'm definitely not staying with Byakuya."

Orihime didn't look convinced. She was still worried for her friend's safety. Clearly living in that building was dangerous, but anyone who lived there turned a blind eye to it. She wished Rukia would come back to campus where it was safe and people weren't turning up dead! What made matters worse was that the first victim, Matsumoto, died so tragically. Orihime didn't believe Yamamoto's death was any different. What if something happened to Rukia? She shivered internally…it gave her chills just to think about. Rukia saw her friend's apprehensive expression and gave her a soft smile.

"Orihime everything's alright," She said, "But I gotta run. I have work today."

The orange-haired girl returned her smile. "Ok, just…just promise me you'll be careful…you're my best friend, I don't want anything to happen to you…"

"I promise, now I gotta go. I'll catch you later!" She said absently, making her way to her car. Rukia hopped in her car, hit the ignition, and pulled off; leaving her big-breasted friend staring after her. Orihime watched Rukia's car speed off, feeling as if cold stones were sitting in her stomach.

Something bad was going to happen.

* * *

When Rukia arrived at the office she was surprised to see that neither the secretary nor Gin was around today. Shrugging if off, she decided to head back into Gin's office to see if she had anything else to do today. When she entered his office Rukia could only see most of it was encased in the darkest shadows. Rukia clicked on the light, she expected Gin to be sitting behind his desk but he wasn't there. It looked as if no one had stepped foot in this office for hours. She figured Gin must've still been away on business, but she'd finished everything on his to-do list. Her thoughts shifted to the strange file she'd stashed in the back of the desk drawer. Rukia didn't want to look at it but she just couldn't help herself. With everything that happened with Ichigo's warning and Yamamoto's death there were far too many questions that went unanswered. Would that file she found shed a little light on the strange happenings in her building? Rukia didn't know, but she certainly would try and find out.

Rukia walked around the desk, yanked the drawer open, and felt inside.

The file was gone!

"Looking for something…?" A sugary voice cooed,

Rukia yelped and slammed the drawer shut. Looking up she saw Gin leaning on the doorframe, arms folded, and smirking at her. Uh-oh, she was busted.

"Wha? Oh no, I...I wasn't looking for anything...Mr. Ichimaru," Her eyes were shifting from left to right, the lie she told manifesting itself in her body language. Gin saw it. "I was just checking to make sure I'd...I'd...making sure I'd put away all the case files from yesterday."

"Is that right?" Gin purred, everything about him was unreadable. "Well they certainly wouldn't go in there you dirty little liar..."

Rukia paled. It wasn't the fact that she got caught, the problem was that she couldn't tell if Gin was angry, amused, or both.

Gin pushed himself up, took a step inside, and proceeded to approach the desk.

"Rukia, tell me the truth," He said, "You were just snooping. Did you find what you were looking for?"

Rukia remained silent.

It was then Gin cocked his head and arched a delighted eyebrow. "What were you looking for anyway?"

She was caught and she knew it, but decided to play his game.

"Oh nothing much," Rukia said shrugging sarcastically, "Just girly magazines, alcohol bottles, drugs, you know, the basics."

"Trying to dig up some dirt on your boss, eh?" Gin purred, pretending to buy into her story. "I'm afraid you're not going to find anything of that nature in my desk drawer. Rukia you're not going to make much of lawyer if you don't work on your lying skills."

Silence.

Gin merely smirked and approached his desk. He shooed the nervous girl away and sat down behind it. The uneasy silence of the room was adding to Rukia's mounting nervousness. She knew Gin didn't believe her story, he was just playing along. But what do you expect when you're caught poking around by Gin Ichimaru? There was no telling how that man would respond.

"How are you feeling?" The fox-faced lawyer suddenly asked,

"Huh?" Rukia replied, unsure of what he meant by that.

"I saw the news..."

Those four words alone made Rukia roll her eyes. She couldn't help; the questions people asked her were like gnats annoying the hell out of her. Since when did everyone start watching the news anyway?

"Oh, I'm fine. I do feel bad and all about Yamamoto, but I'm otherwise ok." Rukia told him folding her arms in frustration. She was getting sick of hearing about this. The old man was dead, couldn't people just leave it alone? No, death was far too fascinating.

"You're not scared that you're living in that 'haunted high-rise' you call an apartment?" Gin asked curiously, his smirk stretching.

"Of course not," Rukia replied bravely, her voice solid as stone. "It was an accident after all."

"Did you know him?" The fox-faced attorney then asked, Gin certainly wanted to know a lot about this situation.

"Well, we'd met before. He helped me carry some groceries home. That was the only time I talked to him. He was a nice guy."

"Ohh good," Gin then said, "I'm glad to hear that. We've been invited to a farewell dinner the firm is throwing in honor of the old man."

Rukia furrowed her eyebrows and gave Gin a questioning look. "Uh..._we_?"

Gin's smile sprang up and nearly stretched off his face. "My, aren't we astute. But yes, I said 'we'. I knew the old man as well, Rukia."

The raven-haired girl fell silent for a third time, waiting for an explanation. Gin saw the curiosity on her face and decided to sate it.

"I used to work for him before he retired. Believe it or not, he's the one who founded this firm." He explained, Rukia arched an eyebrow of her own. Yamamoto founded this place? Rukia would have never guessed it! That was odd...an old man who lives in the same apartment building as she does once owned the place she currently worked for. What are the chances!? Now her thoughts were going a million miles a minute. What about Matsumoto? Did she once work here too? Is that why Gin had a file containing that kind of information? There were so many questions bouncing around Rukia's head like ball ricocheting off of walls.

"I can see you're surprised to hear that..." Gin drawled playfully, "Rukia, you really need to find out more about you're neighbors. With these recent events it would be wise. For all you know, you could be living next door to a serial killer or something."

Gin continued, "So anyways, about this dinner. I honestly don't understand why we're having it, Yamamoto didn't have any friends or family. Just business associates. Nonetheless, someone felt the old man deserved something. Honestly the man just died, I'd feel bad celebrating it..."

Rukia simply shrugged, "I dunno, you said he didn't have any friends or family, so it would nice for the people who did know him to do something."

"I suppose," Gin said, his voice wasn't exactly enthusiastic. "It's this weekend, at the Red Lounge down town. Formal attire is required and anyone who values their employment must show up."

"Got it." Rukia replied, Gin then looked around momentarily and smiled up at her.

"I'm afraid I don't have anything for you to do today, you can go home..." He said, Rukia didn't need to be told twice. She turned to leave and was half-way out of the door when she heard Gin chuckle. That sound made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up...it was such a dark, devious sound...

"Oh and Rukia," He chuckled, his voice dripping in venom, "Don't ever let me catch you snooping around my office again..."

* * *

The drive home was a long one. So many thoughts were going through Rukia's head when she arrived at her apartment. There were so many things wrong here...Matsumoto's death, Yamamoto's death, Ichigo's and Gin's animosity towards each other, Gin's secretive nature, and Rukia found herself at the center of it.

The question remains: What does it all mean?

Rukia could hear both Ichigo and Gin's voices playing her head.

_"Don't believe any of his lies. He's shady, sneaky, and conniving Rukia. You'll see..."_

_"For all you know, you could be living next door to a serial killer or something."_

The younger Kuchiki shook her head furiously and pulled into a parking space. This was all too much. Maybe staying with Byakuya wasn't such a bad thing.

Rukia wrestled with the idea of staying with her brother as she entered the building. Of course, the police had to walk her to the front door. She crossed the lobby over to the elevator and frowned. An 'out of order' sign was taped to the elevator door. Oh brilliant, now she'd have to climb thirteen flights of stairs to get to her apartment. Sighing tiredly Rukia spun on her heel and headed towards the stairway. Thirteen flights of stairs could be the equivalent of climbing a small mountain. She pushed the door open and looked up. The raven-haired girl frowned as she saw a never-ending ascending collection of stairs.

She started climbing.

Somewhere around the ninth or tenth flight of stairs, Rukia began to slow down. Her calves and thighs were burning like hell; well at least she was getting some exercise. She was about to take another step when-

_CLICK._

Rukia was blinded by darkness as all the lights in the stairwell shut off. The only light was the emergency red one at the top of each flight of stairs.

_THUD._

Rukia froze and her heart leapt into throat. Her blue eyes scanned the darkness but couldn't spot what had made that sound.

_THUD._

The noise didn't even have time to echo before Rukia flew up the stairs at top speed! She didn't dare look behind her, instead she ran faster and faster up the stairs praying to God she made it to her apartment unscathed.

_THUD! THUD! THUD!_

Rukia didn't know what that noise was, but she knew she didn't like it! When the younger Kuchiki made it to the thirteenth floor she burst through the door, and bolted down the dark hallway to her front door. Her shaking hands were fighting to keep her keys still long enough to shove into lock. When it finally opened Rukia scurried inside and slammed the door behind her.

Panting, she tried to calm herself down. What was she scared of? What was she running from anyway? It could have nothing! Just a power outage or something! This whole mystery and the 'haunted high-rise' madness was getting to her. Rukia turned slowly and peered out of the peephole; the lights had come back on.

But nothing was there.

To Be Continued...

* * *

**Lemony:** Hmm…interesting, now we're getting somewhere. Once again, I wrote this chapter in a hurry so please any mistakes…REVIEW!


	9. Chapter 9

**Wicked:** *sighs*

**Awesome:** Alright Little Miss Darkness, you've been moping for weeks, what's up with you?

**Lemony:** Awesome's right Wicky Boo, you've been sadder and more moppy than usual.

**Wicked:** *sighs* I'm afraid I have two problems, my financial situation and like Lady Gaga I'm caught in a bad romance.

* * *

_Lovely. _

_Positively lovely. _

_Rukia was getting ready for an evening out. It wasn't for a date or anything of that nature. She was getting all gussied up for that farewell dinner for Yamamoto. _

_He smiled. _

_His little tender tenant had taken time and energy to look wonderful this fine evening. He zoomed the camera in on her as she stood in the bathroom mirror. He licked his lips. That tiny blue dress matched her lovely eyes, hugged her small, curves and was the same color as her strappy heels that made her legs look sexy as sin. _

_It was tasteful and stylish...nothing like those slutty rags that whore Matsumoto used to wear. He watched her as she ran a comb through her hair, sweeping it back, and pinning it in a neat bun. No doubt she'd be the prettiest woman at that dinner tonight. He watched as she clipped two dark blue, stud earrings. _

_He thought she was perfect just how she was, much better looking than some of the other women in the building. _

_Rukia stood in bathroom, looking into the mirror. She gave herself a once over to make sure that there wasn't a hair out of place. When she was satisfied, she left. _

_Although she was beautiful he couldn't forget let himself get distracted; he had things to do tonight. _

_He pinched the bridge of his nose. He got so caught in watching he'd forgot that he still had to get ready as well. _

_Tonight was going to be a long night. _

* * *

Yamamoto's farewell dinner was held at the Red Lounge, a ritzy place in downtown Karakura town. For this to be a sad affair, everyone seemed very happy. Wine and gourmet finger-food were being carried about by waiters, people were dancing and rich laughter rang out again and again. The only thing that seemed to be about Yamamoto was the blown-up picture of him sitting on the stage surrounded in red roses next to the classical music band. Every man was wearing a black tuxedo and every woman was draped in an evening gown. Needless to say Rukia felt slightly underdressed for this affair in her casual blue dress. She sat alone at a table in the back of the room, watching the guests.

Suddenly someone held out a crystal glass with dark red liquid in it. Rukia looked up at who was holding it out to her. She smiled warmly even though she didn't recognize whoever he was.

"You looked like you needed this," The handsome man said deeply, Rukia took the drink from him.

"Thank you Mr..." She began, he smiled nicely at her.

"Aizen. Sosuke Aizen. There's no need for the 'mister' Ms. Kuchiki,"

"You know my name?" Rukia half asked and half said, "Have we meet before?"

Sosuke shook his head, "No, we haven't. I've seen you with your brother before. You're his younger sister. Rukia isn't it? But when I saw you sitting all alone over here without him, I thought I'd come introduce myself."

Rukia looked at him consideringly. Sosuke was a handsome man; his wavy brown hair was slicked back with a distinctive bang falling in front of his face. His chocolate brown eyes were focused but soft. He looked dashing and dangerous in his tuxedo but unlike the other gentlemen he wasn't wearing a bowtie.

"May I join you?" He then asked, his brown eyes flickering between her and the empty seat.

"Sure," Rukia replied, Sosuke sat next her and rested one elbow on the table.

"Thank you,"

Rukia turned to him. "So you know my brother?"

"Somewhat, we travel in the same occupational circles." He answered vaguely, "It's not that I know him, but I can always recognize a Kuchiki. Especially one as beautiful as you-"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Sosuke..." Came a sugary voice, "Flirting with interns again? Didn't you learn your lesson with the scandal you and Ms. Hinamori caused?"

Both Rukia and Sosuke looked up, who should be standing at the front of their table with his hands clasped behind his back but Gin Ichimaru. A murderous glint shot through Sosuke's eyes as he glanced up at his colleague.

"What happened between Hinamori and myself is none of your concern." Aizen said; his voice was as electric as a livewire. Gin was unphased.

"You're right, what happens when your office door is closed is your business. But could you please tell Hinamori not to make so much noise? I do have important work to do and her moaning is very distracting."

Aizen was fucking speechless.

Rukia eyes flicked from Gin to Aizen to Gin again. Her expression screamed, "Help me." The smirking lawyer held out his boney hand to her.

"Rukia," He purred, "May I have this dance?"

The younger Kuchiki slipped her hand in his and allowed Gin to guide her from the table to the dance floor leaving a scowling Aizen at the table.

He was going to murder that fox-faced, cock-blocking bastard!

Rukia and Gin sauntered over to the center of the room and stood on the dance floor. He took her hand in his and placed the other on her hip while she grabbed his shoulder. The fox-faced man drew her closer. She didn't resist. The pianist began to play Turkish March.

The pair started to sway to the music.

Rukia wasn't surprised at how fluid her silver-haired boss moved. She recalled watching him stride through the office, brushing past desks and chairs the way a snake might slither through a bunch of rocks. Gin took her hand and gently spun her around. With her back to him, Rukia figured now would be the best time for her to rope him into her plot to find out more about the Matsumoto woman.

"You're a good dancer Gin..." She purred, she coated his name in dripping honey. She pressed her body into his, slightly put off by the hardness she felt beneath his tuxedo. Since Rukia met him she envisioned Gin to skinny and skeleton-like but it was painfully clear that he was lean and slender.

The silver-haired man smirked lavishly when he heard his name slide between her lips.

"You're not so bad yourself," Gin replied, noting the fact that she was swaying her tiny bottom against his groin. He growled inwardly.

"You better stop that..." The fox-faced man purred lowly, his voice becoming a silken tremor. "Or we'll cause the next scandal..."

"What if don't want to stop, Gin?" Rukia replied with as much silk in her tone. She playfully swayed her entire body against him and looked over her shoulder coquettishly. Since she wanted to play...he'd play.

He decided to show off. Gin spun Rukia outward, brought her back, and dipped her lavishly all in one smooth motion. The raven-haired girl's eyes went wide when she saw Gin's face suddenly close to her's.

"Rukia I have to assume that you want something from me..."

"What makes you say that?" She asked, her voice suddenly sounded a million miles away.

Gin's smile turned devious. "Why else would you remember to call me Gin and be oh-so welling to dance?"

This was unbelievable! Did that man read minds or something? No, Gin could just read people the way scholars read good books. There was something about Rukia tonight...she was far to welling to occupancy him to dance. Had this been any other time she would have refused or found some excuse to use. Not to mention she'd called him by his given name not once, but twice. He concluded his raven-haired intern was up to no good.

Gin actually liked that she tried to seduce him.

The silver-haired man fought the urge to dance into a dark corner and pin her against the wall for such an underhanded trick. That sneaky little intern...

"If there is something you want, Rukia, all you have to do is ask." He said, "But I can't guarantee there won't be conditions."

"I just...I just wanted to ask if you anything about that woman...Matsumoto," Rukia said.

Gin froze and fell silent for a moment...but then he began swaying her again.

"Really, alright, I'll tell you whatever you want to know." He purred in her ear, "But not here, I don't want all these people eavesdropping."

Here Gin's smile got as big as ever. "As a matter of fact I know the perfect place to go..."

* * *

When Gin said he knew the perfect place to go, Rukia didn't think he'd meant a rundown bar on the other side of town. This place was the exact opposite of the Red Lounge; it was a rundown hole-in-the-wall, that didn't look safe for anyone. The rotting wood that held it up look like it was ready to give way at any second and it reeked of cigarette smoke and cheap beer. Even the music fit this seedy place...it sounded like something by The Scorpions. Rukia thought this looked more like a place bikers and thugs hung out, not a powerful and wealthy attorney such as Gin. How'd he even find this place? More importantly, if her Nii-sama knew she was even standing near a place like this he'd go ballistic.

Rukia near a pool table, alone, while Gin went to talk to the bartender about something. The raven-haired girl was extremely thankful that this place was almost completely empty. The only three people here were her, Gin, and the old bartender.

When the fox-faced man returned, he was carrying two pool cues and a tray of billiard balls. The bartender followed behind him carrying a clear bottle of Desiel He tossed one of the sticks to Rukia who caught in mid-air. She waited quietly as Gin meticulously set up the rack. The perfect triangle of colorful balls was positioned at the far end of the table near her.

"So," Gin began walking around to her, "What was it you wanted to ask me?"

"I wanted to ask about a woman..." She began a bit nervously, "Her name was Rangiku Matsumoto."

Rukia saw Gin's smile fall slightly.

"I'll answer any questions you have, on what condition..." He said somberly, "You have to play one game of 8-Ball Shot with me."

Rukia was aware of what that game was. It was just like regular 8-ball billiards, the difference was that every time a person missed a shot they'd have to take a drink. This particular game was popular amongst the younger crowd, she knew a few friends who did this regularly.

"Ok, but I dunno how to play pool," She told him,

The raven-haired girl could practically hear his smirk stretch all the way out. He leaned his own stick on the wall, swaggered over to the girl, and guided her to the far end of the table. Gently, Gin leaned into her so that Rukia's upper torso was bent over the table. Then, he slid a long-fingered hand over hers and placed the stick on the table. Gin wrapped one arm around her and grabbed Rukia's other hand. He was directly on top of her, holding the pool cue in her shaky hands.

"Its easy..." He breathed in her ear, "Pull back slowly...and then ream in."

In one fast motion Gin pulled the stick back and struck the cue ball. The clanking balls scattered around the table and a few fell into the pockets. Gin stood back to his full height, leaving Rukia bent over the table, frozen. She knew for a fact there was hidden meaning his words. She blinked a few times and then stood up, a deep blush rose from the bottom of her feet up to the top of her head.

"You're stripes," The fox-faced man said, chuckling at how red she was becoming.

"Um right...so about Matsumoto, did you know her?" Rukia asked, leaning over and trying to hit the cue ball. She missed. Rukia poured herself a drink and shot it back. The hot alcohol made her throat burn instantly and her midnight filled with salty tears. She suppressed a coughing fit.

"Yes, why do you ask?" Gin replied walking over to the other end of the table and taking a shot. Number two ball, corner pocket.

Rukia decided to come clean, "I found a file on her in your office. We lived in the same building, she's the one who died a year ago and I just got curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat," He replied evenly, twisting the blue chalk on his pool stick. Rukia looked at him incredulously.

"Can you tell me anything about her?" She asked as she bent down for another shot and this time actually hit the ball. The number ten ball rolled slowly into the corner pocket.

Gin sighed. "She worked under me for a few years; Matsumoto was a paralegal and a damn good one."

The silver-haired man leaned down for another shot. He missed and took a drink. Rukia watched him closely, he didn't seem fazed by the strength of the alcohol nor that they were having a conversation about dead woman. He seemed…almost irritated.

"Did she...ever seem like the type to commit suicide to you?"

"Are you going to school to become a detective or something?" Gin snapped, turning to her and arching a slender eyebrow. "You sure are asking me a lot of questions when I'm sure there are other people you could talk to."

Rukia simply shrugged, bent over and took another shot. A second miss, a second drink.

"It never hurts to ask..."

Thirty minutes later both Gin and Rukia were feeling the effects of the alcohol. Their conversation had turned from Matsumoto, to work, and somehow bets started getting placed.

"If I...If I make this shot...you have t-to...undo the bun..." Gin hiccupped, Rukia giggled uncontrollably and nodded. Gin tried to lean down but wobbled slightly. He sloppily struck the ball and surprisingly, it went into the side pocket. He smirked up at Rukia and motion to her hair. She brought her dainty hand up and unclipped the bun. Her short black locks fell forward becoming a wild mess on her head.

"Ok, ok, if I make this ssshot, I want your bowtie," Rukia slurred,

"I'll take that bet!" Gin exclaimed drunkenly,

Rukia tried to clear her hazy head long enough to take a shot. She bent down slowly and took aim. Gin watched as her cloudy blue eyes focused, her hair fell messily in front of her face, and her tiny dress rose up those sweet little legs. Her creamy thighs came into view and hot blood began rushing straight to Gin's cock. His eyes washed over her small frame, drinking in every delicious curve she had, and ended on her delicate fingers curled around the pool cue. It took every ounce of strength in his body not to throw himself onto her. To say she was sexy would be an understatement.

Rukia pulled the cue back and missed ball, giggling at her horrible attempt. She looked up at Gin who was triumphantly straightening his bowtie. Rukia let out a growl.

"I still want it..." She said, Gin moved away from her slightly.

"You want it? Come and get it..."

Rukia eyes glinted with a feral heat and she stalked around the pool table with the grace of a cat over to him. Gin tilted his head upwards once she brought her hand up to untie it. She could feel his warm breath on her hand. The moment the black strap was undone blue eyes clashed serpentine ones. Sobering immediately, Gin grasped Rukia's waist and pressed her into the pool table.

"If I make this next shot..." Gin purred heatedly, grinding against her. "I want the dress..."

In a quivering voice Rukia replied, "You're on..."

Gin unceremoniously grabbed the ball with his hand and slid it into the corner pocket. He smirked down at the girl pinned in front of him.

"I win."

Their lips touched.

This wasn't just another kiss. It was hot, sweet, and hard. Gin snatched Rukia's waist, picked her up, and plopped her on the table. He stood between her spread legs and ran his boney hands up her thighs to the hem of her dress. Rukia didn't try to stop him, the liquor was making her reckless and wet.

A terrible combination.

The raven-haired girl deepened the kiss and slipped her tongue between Gin's slender lips. She melted when his tongue twisted with hers, possessing it, and hungrily stroking her mouth. She could feel his raging length, pressing against his dress pants, growing harder and harder each second. A gush of wetness rolled from inside of her when Gin trailed a long finger between her legs.

"Mr...Mr...Ichimaru..." Rukia gasped between kisses,

"I won't tell you again..." He murmured dangerously against her lips, "Say my name..."

Suddenly a long, boney finger began to pet her dripping core.

"Gin..."

The fox-faced man bit her lower lip and growled in his chest. Hearing his name drip from her sweet lips like honey made his cock throb powerfully. He continued to pet her lightly, toying with her panties. If Rukia had gotten any wetter she would have drowned his fingers.

"This is wrong..." Rukia muttered, Gin chuckled lowly and slipped one finger past her panties. Well, it would seem his little intern had the softest, hottest pussy he'd ever felt. He had to get inside of her...soon.

"An aching pussy doesn't know right from wrong," He growled, "It just knows it wants to be filled..."

Just as Gin was about to lay her down and take her hard and fast on the pool table, they were interrupted.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" The old bartender yelled, "You're not about to fuck in my bar! Now get out you freaks!"

Rukia's hazy mind cleared and she quickly skittered away from Gin. She gave him a hurried goodbye and left the bar, red-faced, and dripping wet. He watched her go, licking his lips and tasting her on them. Gin then turned to the craggily, old bartender who scowled.

"Are you deaf? I said beat it, kid!" He yelled,

Gin's smile faltered as he thought about choking the old bastard. He decided against it and left.

The strings had been pulled enough for one night.

To Be Continued...

* * *

**Awesome:** Ok, so you have money and guy problems. Wicked don't stress about money, you're the artist who stretch a shoe-string budget and still have money left over for premium art supplies.

**Wicked:** *sighs* *puts head down*

**Lemony:** What about the guy problems?

**Wicked:** Let's just say my body and his beliefs are far to conflicting...I'm caught between a man I think love and a man I am dangerously attracted to.

**Lemony:**...HAVE SEX WITH BOTH OF THEM! PROBLEM SOLVED!

**Wicked:** Idiot. *sighs* bloody idiot. *gets up and goes into bedroom* *slams door*

**Awesome:** *rubs temples* Wicked and her fucking moods are going to be the death of me...REVIEW!


	10. Chapter 10

**Lemony:** Hi my lovely little reader people! I have a new chappy for you! And sorry if there are any mistakes but this chapter was once again written in a hurry but other than that, Enjoy!

* * *

_He had to stop all of this late night watching._

_It was nearly three in the morning and he was still sitting behind his desk with his eyes glued to the screen. He was going to go blind if he kept watching them in the dark. He rubbed his eyes as he yawned. He'd been busy watching Nanao and some guy named Shunsui going at it like rabbits in heat for the past few hours. When they finished, he got bored and started looking from every camera he had around the building but everyone was sleeping. He shifted his attention to Rukia, who was sleeping peacefully on this fine evening._

_He smiled. She was so cute when she was sleeping, but it was late, he figured, and it was time to turn in for the night. He was about to get up from his comfy seat and leave his lair when something caught his attention..._

_What the hell was that?_

_He leaned in closely and zoomed in on the image. It...it was someone outside the front door. But who could that be at this hour? They were clad in all black, glancing from left to right...they were...they were wearing a sweatshirt with the hood up...His heart began to race. He shifted in his chair when the unknown person leaned down and did something to the lock. Cold beads of sweat started seeping from his pores when the door opened silently. Who the hell was this? He was sure that Rukia lived alone…but then…_

_Oh no._

_Someone was breaking into her apartment!_

_All the moisture in his mouth evaporated when the hooded person stepped inside..._

_He shouldn't watch! He should help! But what could he do? If he went down there, he'd expose himself and that simply wasn't an option. The police! He should call the police! Wait! If he called the police they'd start snooping around again! Fuck, he had a hard enough time getting rid of them when the whore Matsumoto and the pesky old man Yamamoto bit the dust! Damn. What should he do? Should he even get involved? Oh this crazy! His heart began slamming against his ribcage as he tried to remain calm and think of something. Fast._

_He watched, gulping, as the hooded person moved throughout the apartment...it seemed they knew exactly where they were going. The unknown intruder entered Rukia's bedroom and stood at the foot of her bed._

_He could end this._

_His cellphone was sitting right next to him..._

_Did he want to be the hero? No, he decided...he'd watch instead..._

* * *

Rukia had been sleeping peacefully until her eyes fluttered open. She'd felt a presence in her room and fear instantly flooded her psyche. There was something in the darkness and she knew she couldn't be the only person in this room. Moving slowly on her bed, she looked up...

Someone was hovering right over her.

Rukia let out a scream and tried to jump up but found a gloved hand squeezing her neck. Her blue eyes darted around in the dark, looking into the place where this person's face might be. She couldn't see anything because of the hood and the darkness of the room. The raven-haired girl began kicking, punching, scratching, and screaming at the top of her lungs. The hooded person tried holding her down on the bed but Rukia was fighting like a hellcat trying to escape. She was bouncing around on the mattress and she'd tore her sheets to shreds as her hooded assailant fought to hold her down. They were strong, but not strong enough to hold Rukia down for very long.

"Stop it!" The person hissed lowly, the voice was male. Very male. "This is for your own good, beautiful."

"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!" Rukia hollered slapping and kicking at the person, she was trying to knock the hood off but it was tied down with the drawstrings. Her fear had transformed into malice and hatred for whoever this person was. How dare they break into her home and hold her down! Rukia wasn't about to play the victim! She was going to fight like hell.

"GET OFF OF ME!" Rukia yelled, her face turning red from her efforts, "HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

"Shut up! If I can have his bitch..." The attacker seethed, "I'll have you too! Hold still, precious!"

Somehow the younger Kuchiki slipped from the person's grasp she skittered from the bed and ran into the living room with her attacker in hot pursuit. The raven-haired girl snatched handfuls of glass figurines off of shelves and began hurling them at whoever was chasing her. The glass figurines burst on impact, flying into the person, the walls, and anything else Rukia managed to hit. Whoever they were the glass smashing against their body had certainly slowed them down.

When she ran out of figurines to throw, Rukia ran out of the front door banging on her neighbors door as she went, screaming for help, and not daring to look back.

Then something miraculous happened.

Two uniformed officers came running down the hallway. Rukia saw them as they approached; she collapsed in one of their arms, and began bawling uncontrollably.

"Miss Kuchiki, please you have to calm down," The officer said as Rukia tried to telling him what had happened.

"But he! And me! My house! Broke in!" Rukia blubbered between sobs, the other officer went ahead, gun at the ready, and began searching the apartment. It didn't take a genius to figure out what happened; broken glass was everywhere and ransacked state of the place said it all. A struggle had occurred her.

The officer maneuvered through the apartment, searching every nook and cranny of the place. It was no use.

Rukia's attacker had gotten away.

* * *

_He'd finally broken down and called the cops. It was a useless effort, whoever that person was had escaped through the emergency staircase and fled. Now he was really worried...what if the police started snooping again? Well that wasn't a 'what if' that was a fact. He sighed and rubbed his temples. Why did he call the police in the first place? Rukia was obviously able to fend for herself and either she or someone else would have called them sooner or later. More importantly, what if they traced the call?_

_He swore._

_Ok, ok, maybe he was just being paranoid. The police got anonymous phone calls all the time, didn't they? This one couldn't be any different, but still it scared him. He laughed slightly. Him? Scared? Oh please, the police weren't smart enough to track him down. There were too many false-fronts to sift through. He convinced himself that he was untouchable._

_But why did he play the hero? It's not like she was going to thank him for it. He wasn't some knight in shining amor. Far from it actually._

_He sat in his lair that night, watching the aftermath of the brief attack. About an hour later two squad cars parked outside the building and the police were searching around Rukia's apartment for any evidence. He watched them all, examining the area, checking the lock, and asking her if she'd seen him._

_Rukia was standing locked in Byakuya's arms, sobbing quietly. He watched as the cold and untouchable Kuchiki stared down each officer._

_"I want whoever is responsible for this arrest. Immediately!" Byakuya hissed; the officers seemed to ignore him and went on collecting evidence._

_"Miss Kuchiki, did you see what he looked like at all?" An officer holding a pen and paper asked. "Was there anything stolen?"_

_"His face...it was covered." She said between sniffles, Byakuya held her tighter. "I don't…I don't think he took anything…"_

_"My sister is in no condition to answer your questions." Byakuya snapped, "Why don't you your job and find who did this instead of pestering her."_

_He shook his head and chuckled._

_Byakuya was the typical overprotective brother. He didn't blame him though, but frightening the police wouldn't help further the situation._

_He noticed Byakuya's mouth move as he whispered something to Rukia. He turned up the volume._

_"-Not staying here tonight. You're coming home with me right now. I'll deal with this in the morning."_

_He watched as Rukia was escorted out by her brother. He groaned in despair. There was no doubt in his mind he was going to be getting a few calls from the elder Kuchiki's lawyer first thing in the morning! Again, why did he play the hero? Was it possible that he had a conscious? No, if he had a conscious he would have helped Matsumoto when she went flying over the side of the building. He figured she got what she deserved that lying bitch. He didn't give a damn about her after what she'd done to him. It made him mad just thinking about it! How could he have been so stupid to get involved with Matsumoto? He knew better than anyone how she was…no, the whore reaped what she sewed. Karma was a bitch._

_But Rukia was different to him._

_She hadn't done anything wrong...at least not from what he'd seen. But that person...and that voice...he could swear he'd recognized it._

_He toggled through the options until he found the recording of Rukia and her assailant while they were fighting. He replayed it._

_"Shut up! If I can have his bitch...I'll have you too! Hold still, precious!"_

_That voice...where had he heard that voice before? Carefully he began going through the footage until he found the recording of that faithful night, the last night Rangiku was alive. He re-watched the video, his stomach growing cold._

_"Rangiku...I've been waiting for you..."_

_He played both videos over. He played them again and again to be sure he wasn't hallucinating. He played it once more, that metallic voice echoing in his ears. Then he realized something…Oh no..._

_He swore._

_Loudly._

_He came to the sinking conclusion that the very same person who was with Rangiku that night had just attacked Rukia! What was he supposed to do now? He wasn't supposed to get involved but he'd seen everything...he knew the truth...he could stop this…but at what cost? If he went to the police his secret would be exposed. However, if he chose to ignore it, his tender tenant could get hurt before he had chance to indulge in her sweet little body._

_Dammit._

_It was hard playing God sometimes. But oh how he loved it._

To Be Continued...

* * *

**Lemony:** Short chapter I know, I know. But I couldn't resist teasing you all just a little bit. But I have two questions. One, who's paying attention? Two, what about this "he" person. I think its almost time for me to reveal who he is but I'll only do that if you'll…REVIEW!


	11. Chapter 11

**Lemony:** NIIIIINNNNNN-NNNIIII CHHAAAANNN! *hugs Nin-Ni Chan* LONG TIME NO SEE! HOW YA' BEEN TWIN?

**Nin-Ni Chan:** GREEATT! OH LEEEEEMOOONY I MISSED YOU SO MUCH! *hugs* LET'S NEVER LEAVE EACH OTHER AGAIN!

**Lemony:** Ya see readers, Nin-Ni went to Chicago and me and my sissy's went to Louisiana for a short time. We haven't been able to see each other but now...

**Nin-Ni Chan:** REUNITED AND IT FEELS SO GOOD!

* * *

The aftermath of the attack left Rukia so shaken she couldn't even sleep in her own room back at Kuchiki Manor.

She begged Byakuya to let her sleep with him, to which he tightly agreed. The truth was, Byakuya was quite pleased his younger sister wanted to share his bed; especially since she was wearing one of the nighties he loved so much. That night, she lay next to her brother, twisted up in the sheets, with the covers drawn over her head. To say she was scared stiff would have been an understatement. Rukia was downright petrified. She laid next to Byakuya, shivering violently, and trying not to think about what had happened.

"Rukia," Byakuya said with his eyes closed tightly, "Stop shaking. You're making my bed quake."

"I'm sorry Nii-sama..." Rukia replied quietly, "I...I can't help it..."

"I understand that you are afraid," The elder Kuchiki said, turning on his side to face her, "But you're safe now, don't be scared Rukia. I'll have my lawyer give the building owner a call and I'll have the movers collect your things."

"Movers?" Rukia repeated poking her head from beneath the covers to look at her older brother, "I don't want to leave Nii-sama, break-ins happen all the time...you're overreacting..."

"Overreacting?" Byakuya repeated arching an elegant eyebrow, "Rukia, you could have been killed tonight. Whoever broke into your apartment is still running around loose. I'll allow you to keep your space, but you are not going back to that apartment as long as that common thug is free. Do you understand?"

Rukia something muttered lowly. Byakuya's face grew black as sin when his sister murmured.

"I said, do you understand me Rukia Kuchiki?" He said tightly, Byakuya only used her full name when he was deadly serious about something.

"Yes Nii-sama..." Rukia said sullenly shifting back beneath the covers. As she lay there her mind drifted back to her attacker. The question on everyone's mind was: who could it have been? And why did they attack her in the first place? Rukia believed she didn't have any enemies, let alone one upset enough to want to kill her. She thought back to their hissing words.

_"This is for your own good, beautiful."_

Her own good? How was someone holding her down and and trying to wring her neck for her own good?

_"If I can have his bitch...I'll have you too! Hold still, precious."_

His bitch? Who on earth was that crazed person talking about? Then, they refereed to her as "beautiful" and "precious" those terms of endearment made Rukia wonder. They spoke to her as if they were familiar with her...about eighty-five percent of women who are accosted know their attackers..did Rukia know her attacker? It was scary to think about, someone she knew wanted to hurt her. Badly. They were willing to break into her home, the place where she laid her head at night, and tried to do God knows what to her! To make matters worse, she'd have to get up tomorrow and face the day along with everyone she knew, and possibly the person who tried to kill her.

There would be no sleeping tonight.

* * *

The following day was horrible. Due to lack of sleep, Rukia couldn't keep her eyes open in any of her classes. It felt like someone had tied two giant anvils to her eyelids. Most of her professors didn't blame her, they'd read about what happened in the morning newspaper. Since she didn't die, it wasn't front-page news, but there was still a short column about how the Haunted Highrise of Karukura town tried to claim its third victim.

The day dragged on, feeling like it would never end. Rukia sat in the campus cafeteria, staring dejectedly down at a plate of cold french fries, trying her hardest not to fall asleep. Orihime was sitting across from her, a worried look spread across her pretty face.

"Rukia...are you alright?" She asked softly,

"I'm ok Orihime," The younger Kuchiki replied tiredly, lying through her teeth. She was not ok! But Orihime was too sensitive for Rukia to just tell her to leave it alone.

"Well, if it ain't King's favorite midget..." An unwelcome voice crooned, neither Rukia nor Orihime had to guess who it was. They both rolled their eyes simultaneously. At that moment the younger Kuchiki felt a cold hand grab her shoulder. Rukia looked upwards to see Hichigo smiling down at her.

"How you doin' today, shortie?" He asked taking a seat at their table, Rukia glared hatefully at him. She never liked Hichigo; she knew the boy wasn't wrapped too tight and he was one sick individual. He took pleasure in causing others pain and frustration and Rukia was his favorite plaything. The raven-haired girl only tolerated Hichigo because he was Ichigo's psycho twin bother.

"I'm fine Hichigo," Rukia said shortly, he smirked at her.

"That's not wha' I read in the newspaper, shortie." Hichigo purred nastily whipping out a newspaper from his back pocket. It was flipped to the page where the most recent column was. Rukia didn't even look at it.

"So wha' happened, sweetness? You gotta stalker don'tcha?" Hichigo teased, his voice laced with sadistic pleasure. He was enjoying Rukia's discomfort a bit too much. "I heard he tried to choke you out..."

Rukia cut her eyes at him, "Who told you that?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He said smugly, "Its goin' all 'round campus. Little Bunny is so sexy she's got people breakin' into her house..."

"Shut up Hichigo..." Rukia said hollowly, her mind going back to what her attacker had said.

"Make me." The white-haired boy teased, suddenly he looked Rukia up and down and licked his lips. "He's a lucky sonuva-bitch...If it had been me, I wouldda torn you' in hal-"

"That's enough, Hichigo." A stern voice suddenly said, all three of them turned their heads to see Ichigo standing there with a scowl on his face and his eyes like daggers on his younger brother.

"All hail the King..." Hichigo said, sarcastically bowing to his twin bother. Ichigo was not amused. He'd heard a good portion of their conversation and didn't approve of his bother heckling his ex-girlfriend. Especially since Rukia looked terrible today.

"Get lost Hichigo," Ichigo said threateningly, the white-haired twin merely smirked viciously.

"Fine, I'll leave. But they never caught whoever broke into ya' house, Rukia. I'd be careful if I were you..." He purred darkly, "I'll see you around..._precious_."

Rukia turned as white as sheet when those words left Hichigo's lips. He called her precious. Like her attacker! He used the term so loosely and so flippantly that Ichigo and Orihime wouldn't have caught on to it. But she did...the very word made her blood run cold as ice. The person who attacked her...it couldn't have been Hichigo, could it?

The white-haired young man gave Rukia a wink and an absolutely toxic grin before walking away from the table. She watched him go, her mouth hanging open slightly. She didn't like that gleefully sadistic look Hichigo had given her. She turned to Ichigo.

"Ichigo, where was Hichigo last night?" She asked, her voice cracking sightly, Ichigo shrugged.

"You know I'm not his keeper and even if I was, I never know where he is." The orange-haired boy replied, he then furrowed his eyebrows. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing..." Rukia told him shortly, her mind reeling. "Nothing at all."

* * *

Sometime after lunch Ichigo found himself inside Hichigo's dorm room. His white-haired brother "persuaded" his roommate to move out so he stayed alone. Everyone knew Hichigo was half-crazy and the college facility wasn't stupid enough to try and give him another roommate. They didn't want a murder on their hands.

Ichigo had been waiting for his brother to look up from his laptop so he could talk to him. Hichigo was busy browsing one of the many porn sites he loved so much. Ichigo stood behind him, occasionally looking at the computer screen. He saw naked women bound and gagged in all sorts of lewd contraptions, strapped down with leather, and being fucked brutally. His brother really was sick.

"So King," Hichigo said turning to him, once he was bored with his laptop. "To wha' do I owe this visit?"

"I know it was you..." Ichigo said lowly, glaring at his brother hatefully, "You broke into Rukia's apartment didn't you?"

Hichigo looked sarcastically amused, "King you would accuse me of such a thing? I'mma good boy, I dun do bad things..."

"Spare me," Ichigo spat, "Tell the truth Hichigo, it was you. Wasn't it? _Wasn't it_?"

"I swear to ya' King I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't play with me Hichigo," Ichigo growled between gritted teeth. His brother's foolishness was starting to grate on his nerves. "You knew Rukia lived in the same building as Rangiku. You know how to break in...I _know_ you do..."

"Rangiku? Oh yeah, the slut chick with huge jugs, right?" Hichigo cackled, his yellow eyes flooded with mirth. "I remember her...she was so much fun King. I remember that night, yeah that was the night I spent some quality time with my big brother and got my dick wet at the same time..."

"Shut up Hichigo!" Ichigo spat, a hot blush flooding his face as memories of Ranigku flooded his mind.

"Dun'cha remember how good her pussy felt King? And how loud she screamed? And I remember when you made Rangiku cum, King.." Hichigo continued, Ichigo slapped his hands over his ears. He didn't want to hear this. He didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to go back to that night with Rangiku.

Ichigo wanted so badly to forget what they had done.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Ichigo finally yelled, "You know damn well you swore you'd never talk about that ever again!"

"Sorry King, but when we started strollin' down memory lane, I couldn't resist..." He cackled,

Ichigo's finger's suddenly wrapped around his brother's throat. He squeezed it tightly, cutting off his brother's horrible laughter. Hichigo turned red, then blue, then purple. His eyes started to water but the whole time Ichigo was crushing his windpipe, Hichigo was grinning.

"I'm telling you right now, Hichigo," Ichigo growled, his words pure venom. "Stay away from Rukia...stay away from that building...stay away from that fox-faced bastard, do you understand me?"

"Awww King is concer-" Hichigo couldn't even finish that sentence before Ichigo tightened his grip on his brother's scrawny neck, nearly cracking it.

"I SAID DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

"Y-Yes King..." Hichigo wheezed, Ichigo gave his brother a small smile.

"Glad we had this talk..."

The orange-haired boy shoved Hichigo back in his chair, not caring that he was coughing hard enough to hack up a lung. Ichigo stared him down for a long time before deciding to leave. As he walked Ichigo was cursing under his breath, his brother was idiot.

Hichigo almost got them caught.

To Be Continued...

* * *

**Nin-Ni Chan:** LETS GO GET PIZZA!

**Lemony:** AND THEN GET CHOCOLATE WASTED!

**Lemony& Nin-Ni Chan:** GAAAAHHHHHHH! DO DA STANKY LEG! *does stanky leg*

**Lemony:** Btw readers, I'm holding this story hostage until I get more reviews so with furthur ado...REVIEW!


	12. Chapter 12

**Lemony:** Good morning/afternoon/evening my lovely little reader people, I hope you all had happy holidays!

**Wicked:** Bah humbug. I hate the holidays. I'm forced to spend my free time not only with you two, but with family members whom I wish would fall into a deep, dark hole.

**Awesome:** Aw don't be that way Wicked, the holidays are awesome! Especially for gamers because *holds up stack of new video games* I GET MY GAME ON BITCHES!

* * *

Rukia debated whether or not she wanted to go to work that day.

Well, maybe its not that she didn't want to go; she just really didn't want to face Gin for two reasons: One, she was positive he knew about what happened to her the night before. Two, the raven-haired girl was appalled at how she acted when they played pool. Rukia could always take the easy way out and blame it on the alcohol. No, that wouldn't work; if she was sober enough to drive herself home that night she was sober enough to know exactly what she was doing. Gin would use that as his main ammunition if she used the whole "I was so drunk" excuse.

As she drove, Rukia thought back to that night. She remembered that she was the one who started the whole thing, wanting Gin's bowtie and whatnot. Her mind drifted back to their conversation just before they left, his words growling lustfully in her ears.

_"An aching pussy doesn't know right from wrong, it just knows it wants to be filled..."_

A sudden gush of wetness spilled from inside her and Rukia's inner walls clutched. She almost hit the breaks when body began to heat up. Her mind went back to the kiss they shared. God, it was amazing. Gin had a long, cruel, twisted mouth but it was soft, warm, and that tongue...goodness that tongue could probably stroke a girl into conniptions. Rukia's eyes began to cloud and she tried to focus on the road. That was nearly impossible when she imaged Gin's long fingers petting her core...

"Hey! Watch the road!" A driver shouted at her as she switched lanes without signaling. Rukia glanced over her shoulder as a beaming blush spread across her face. She sighed.

How was she ever going to face him?

When Rukia arrived at his office she was greeted by the secretary as usual. She told her that Gin was in his office handling a rather unruly client and that Rukia would have to wait outside for a few minutes. The younger Kuchiki took those moments to try and compose herself. She wondered how Gin would act upon seeing her again; he'd probably respond the way the responded to everything else: with a smile. It was funny really, as Rukia sat there she wondered did anything get a rise out of that man? Most likely not. Although she'd only known him for a short time, Rukia could tell that Gin Ichimaru was one of those people who just unreadable. Unpredictable. Gin was as cryptic as a letter from The Zodiac killer.

A few minutes later a tall, leggy blonde came strutting from down the hall, her heels clacking dangerously. Rukia looked up at her and the blonde returned her stare, sneering nastily. When she left the raven-haired girl looked towards the secretary she motioned that it was ok for her to head back.

Rukia did so.

When she entered Gin's office she found him sitting behind his desk, slumped in his chair, with his hand over his eyes, obviously exasperated.

"Tough client?" Rukia asked with a nervous smile, as she shed her jacket and hung it in the closet. Gin looked up at her and nodded sullenly.

"You have no idea," He replied with a sigh, rubbing his temples in annoyance. "Some people just never learn..."

"You can say that again," Rukia said blankly, Gin sat up in chair when he heard her flat tone. He studied his raven-haired intern closely; he knew why she was so nervous however she didn't look any worse for wear...in fact, Rukia looked quite lovely to him today. More so than usual because he'd gotten to see her mask of innocence slip; that night, when he had her pressed against the pool table, he saw a different side of Rukia. A darker, feral, sexual side that brought out the beast in him. Had it not been for that old bartender Gin would have taken her hard and fast, pulling at those shiny black locks, as he sheathed himself inside of her pulsing walls. Sure on the outside Rukia carried herself like a proper lady; bookish, prude, and calm. On the inside, however, she was a roaring fire of lust capable of burning everything to cinders if stroked properly. Gin wanted nothing more than to rip that mask of innocence from her face that night but fate intervened. Gin smirked inwardly; he'd just have to get more creative, in fact his mind was already formulating a plan capable of creating cracks in her precious mask...then, he'd chip away at them slowly with lustful whispers, the gentle trail his fingers, and the feel of his body mere inches hers...yes, it was just a matter of time.

Putting on his most sincere smile, Gin decided to ease her anxiety.

"That reminds me," He began, "How are you? I read about what happened in the paper..."

Rukia couldn't keep from rolling her eyes. She folded her arms and stared angrily at her employer. Gin could see a vein pulse in her temple as she tried to keep calm.

"I'm fine." Rukia said shortly, Gin merely chuckled.

"My we aren't very friendly today, are we my little intern?"

The raven-haired girl shrug uncaringly. No, she wasn't very friendly today because everyone asking her if she was ok and it was starting to tap dance on her last nerve. Didn't they have eyes? Couldn't they see that she was a-ok? Peachy fucking keen.

"Is there anything I can do for you, Mr. Ichimaru?" She asked, trying to change the subject. Gin's smile stretched, displaying all the mischievous thoughts running through his head.

"Do you really mean _anything_?" He purred, the red sparks of light in his eyes gleaming sinfully, Rukia felt something inside of her ignite. It was the way Gin said it; the way he let those words roll of his tongue...hearing them was like kissing him all over again. She knew his words had a secret meaning and that alone was enough to make Rukia burn inwardly.

Gin continued smirking lavishly, "Because...I'm very tempted to take you up on that offer..."

Rukia remained silent as her silver-haired employer stood and walked around the desk. He stood in front of her, crossed his long arms, and stared her down for a few tense moments before speaking again. Gin had an eyebrow arched.

"As a matter of fact, I think there is something you can do for me..." Gin's smile got as big as ever as he looked down at Rukia. They were barely standing an inch away from each other and she could feel body heat radiating off of Gin. His close proximity made a hot blush rise in her cheeks; memories of being leaned against a pool table came rushing back to her.

"Grab your coat, my little intern..." Gin hummed, "I'm taking you for a ride..."

To Be Continued...

* * *

**Lemony:** Ain't I just a cheeky dick-waffle? My gift to you readers is a...MASSIVE CLIFFHANGER! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!

**Awesome:** *not paying attention* *playing Call of Duty*

**Wicked:**...idiots. You're both idiots...REVIEW!


	13. Chapter 13

**Lemony:** *ahem*...HI YAAAAAAA READERS!

**Wicked:** Did you miss us?

**Awesome:** Because we sure as fuck missed you guys!

**Lemony:** Ok, I know we've got a lot of explaining to do about our absences. And we'll tell ya all about it at the end of this chapter. For now, enjoy!

* * *

Rukia would never understand how Gin got his license to drive.

The silver-haired lawyer drove through the city like a man being chased by Satan himself. The fact that he drove a Corvette, one of the fastest sports cars ever made, only made matters worse for poor Rukia. The shiny, silver vehicle zipped through the streets of Karakura Town leaving nothing but burning, black tire tracks in its wake. Inside, the younger Kuchiki was fearfully gripping the bottom of the seat. She was so terrified her nails were digging into the plastic and fabric beneath it. Gin, on the other hand, remained remarkably calm as he drove, knowing good and well his raven-haired passenger was on the verge of a heart attack. He knew he was a wild a driver, but Gin only got that way when he was rushing to get somewhere.

He needed to get Rukia all alone as quickly as possible.

Although Gin's intentions were totally honorable, that didn't stop his mind from drifting to more...lewd thoughts.

"Where are we going?" Rukia managed to ask, the fox-faced lawyer gave her a half-glance.

"Curiosity killed the little rabbit." Said Gin as he shifted the gear suddenly. The engine went from purring to roaring, the tires screeched, and the car peeled through the streets. An awkward silence settled in the car as they drove; Rukia figured there would be no point in asking any questions anymore. Based on Gin's tight-lipped response, she concluded the smiling man was up to no good. As usual. The question was, what was he planning?

Rukia had plenty of time to think about it, because they drove for over an hour; putting a lot of distance between themselves and Karakura Town. The farther they went the more confused she became. Where on earth were they going? Why was it so far? Why was Gin being so secretive? Rukia chuckled quietly to herself when that last thought crossed her mind. This was _Gin Ichimaru_ for goodness sakes, that man was the walking definition of the word secretive.

Rukia's confusion gave way to fear when dusk descended upon them.

"Uh...Gin?" She began nervously,

"We're almost there." He replied innocently, sensing the girl's mounting anxiety. Within minutes the speeding car slowed as Gin made a slight right turn off the road and stopped just before a rocky height. He put the car in park and killed the engine.

Rukia's round eyes grew wide as she took in the sight before her. There, just a few feet away, was Karakura Town's coastline. She stared in awe at the sparkling, blue ocean water that glittered brightly as it rolled against the rocky, brown sand. Her eyes drifted to the sky and Rukia blinked momentarily. Numerous swirls of orange, yellow, pink, and blue floated in front her in the form of clouds; all of which began to disappear behind the slowly setting sun.

"This is beautiful," Rukia breathed, Gin's eyes slid over to her.

He said to her, "Being cramped in classrooms and offices must be dull, so I figured we'd take a little field trip today."

"Thank you for bringing me here, but what about your cases for today? Who's going to handle those?"

"Those cases are not my concern." Gin responded, his voice lowering dangerously. "That's not the reason why I brought you here..."

"What's the _real_ reason then?"

"I needed a place where you and I could chat without any unnecessary interruptions." Gin said distantly. "I'll let you in on a little secret, you're not the only one who enjoyed this view. _Rangiku_ loved coming here too."

"Rangiku?" Rukia repeated, her brows drawing together. "You...you brought her here too?"

Gin's smirk curled sinisterly as he nodded. There was a brief pause before his dark chuckled sounded.

"Well, go on." He purred, "Ask me."

"Ask you w-what?" The raven-haired girl replied shakily, now extremely nervous. This was by-far the strangest situation Rukia had ever been in. Think about it, she was in the exact same spot, with the exact same man Rangiku had been with when she was alive. There had to be some kind of relation here and Rukia knew it...the younger Kuchiki was missing something, an important piece of the puzzle, a vital clue, that would explain away all her questions. She also got the inkling there was something Gin wasn't telling her...

"Ask me what her police file was doing on my desk...go on, ask me. I'm sure you're just dying to find out..."

"Ok," Rukia said carefully, leveling her midnight eyes at Gin. "Why was the file on your desk?"

Gin's disquieting smile practically touched his eyes. "Remember when I told you Rangiku used to work for me?"

She nodded anxiously. Oh Rukia remembered that talk perfectly, because shortly after she was pinned to a pool table by her boss.

"Being her employer and an officer of the court, I was able to obtain all of her legal documents after she died. " Gin explained lightly, leaning back in his seat. "I was curious about her death as well...but I purposely left it on my desk, out in the open, to see just how curious _you_ were."

He paused and glared at the girl. His dark eyes were glowing hot red and Rukia could see them through his narrowed slits. Her heart leapt to her throat and she felt as if she was shrinking beneath Gin's wicked gaze. She didn't like that look...not one bit.

"And now that I know just how curious you really are," He continued darkly, "I can offer you this friendly warning: Rukia, you're meddling in affairs that have nothing to do with you. If you're not careful you could find yourself in the middle of it all."

The smiling man then placed his hand to Rukia's knee. The younger Kuchiki jumped slightly but forced herself to sit in the seat. The gentle touch frightened her even more!

"Besides," Gin said, "If something happened to you who would sharpen my pencils?"

"I don't understand..." Was all she could say as she looked into her boss's angular face. Gin simply shook his head.

"Its a long story Rukia," He said, squeezing her knee. "Just promise me you'll start locking your door..."

* * *

The ride back into town was as silent as before, neither passenger nor driver said a word. This time, instead of driving like a maniac, Gin drove leisurely as if he had nowhere be. Throughout the whole ride Rukia's mind was working overtime in an attempt to form words to say. Lock her door? What in the world...? Was Gin concerned about her? That couldn't have been it. Sense Gin wouldn't answer any of her questions, Rukia had retreated inside of her own head for the duration of ride. She was thinking about everything everyone had told her. It seemed like someone was keeping a secret, and she was determined now more than ever to find out what.

By the time she thought something to say, Gin had already pulled up to the office building. He parked out front and then turned to the quiet girl sitting in the front seat. He merely chuckled.

"Oh don't look so scared, Rukia." Gin hummed lightheartedly, "I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Thanks for the ride," She mumbled curtly as she unbuckled her seat belt. She pushed the passenger side door open and was about to beat a hasty retreat when she was grabbed by the arm. Gin suddenly yanked Rukia back inside the car.

Rukia yelped but the sound was swallowed by a pair of warm, thin lips that collided with hers. Her eyes widened but fluttered shut when she realized what was happening. Gin deepened the kiss, suckling gently on Rukia's tender mouth. She tasted even more delicious than that night in the bar.

"I get the feeling you won't heed my warning," He breathed against her wet lips, "So I'll leave you with this, Rukia Kuchiki: keep your friends close and keep your enemies closer...much, much closer..."

He drew her into another hot kiss that lasted briefly. Rukia pulled away first and scampered from the silver car just as she was feeling herself heat up. Gin watched her go, leaning back tiredly in the driver seat.

_"That girl certainly is a jumpy little thing,"_ Gin thought, smirking. Rukia wasn't the only jumpy thing in his life; his semi-stiff cock was still twitching in his slacks. The fox-faced man was a little disappointed in himself, one kiss was all it took for him hot and bothered.

_"Oh well,"_ He then pondered_, "All I can do is warn her..."_

But Gin was grinning deviously to himself. He knew that Rukia was in too deep to escape now.

Far to deep.

* * *

Gin waited a few more minutes before sighing and exiting his car. Now that Rukia was gone he had no reason to hang around his office. After all, his favorite little intern had already finished most of his work. The only thing Gin had to do was collect some paperwork and give the keys to the janitor.

As he walked through the soundless building, the smiling man had a sinking sensation that something wasn't quite right...

When he entered his personal suite his suspicions were confirmed. His secretary was nowhere to be found.

_"That's odd," _Gin thought, his smirk stretching. He swaggered past her desk and stepped into his own office. All was dark and eerily calm...it didn't take him long to realize that he wasn't alone.

"You sure are a funny kid," Gin began flippantly, "Breaking into my office and whatnot. What were you hoping to find...Ichigo?"

Lo and behold, who should be sitting behind Gin's desk but one very dour-looking Ichigo Kurosaki. The boy was scowling and sitting with his arms folded tightly across his chest, glaring up at Gin. His blazing brown eyes locked on the silver-haired man in the darkness, his expression blackened.

"I wasn't looking for anything," The younger man snapped, "I was waiting for you."

"Is that right?" Gin purred nonchalantly, "And to what do I owe this visit?"

"Listen to me you smiley faced freak," Ichigo hissed, "I'm only here to tell you to stay away from Rukia."

Gin whipped a brow. "That'll be kind of hard considering we work together..."

"I don't care about that. Fire her or something. Just stay. Away. From. Rukia." Ichigo enunciated each word severely, as if he wanted the sound of his voice to cut through Gin's irreverence.

"And if I refuse?"

"I'll fucking hurt you." Ichigo spat, "Its as simple as that."

"Oh?" Gin hummed, "You'll 'hurt' me? I'm so scared I'm shaking in my suit. You've got some nerve Ichigo Kurosaki..."

He continued, that playful purr morphing into a toxic tremor. "You're in no position to threaten me, little boy. Have you forgotten that your family's precious clinic is still hanging by a thread? A thread that can be easily cut with the proper paperwork and my signature...Think of Karin and Yuzu. "

Ichigo gritted his teeth and forced himself stay quiet for a few moments. He knew Gin wouldn't hesitate to put him and his family out on the streets. The orange-haired boy took several calming breaths before he spoke again.

His eyes softened as he looked up at Gin.

"I don't understand you, Ichimaru." Ichigo muttered, "Out of all the girls in Karakura Town, you choose Rukia. Why? The last time I checked you preferred your women air-headed with big ti-"

"Shut up." Gin hissed, anger beginning to rise within him at Ichigo. He should be last person talking about Rangiku, especially in such a disrespectful manner.

Ichigo gave the silver-haired lawyer an absolutely toxic smirk. "I guess I hit a nerve."

"You got that right," He said darkly as he approached the desk. Gin planted both hands on top of the table and leaned down so that he and Ichigo were eye to eye. His slender brows were furrowed in fury. "But if you must know I choose Rukia because of _you_..."

"Me? What the hell are you talking about?" The younger man asked, now very interested in what his fox-faced foe had to say. Hopefully this would shed some light on whatever he was plotting.

"Try to keep up," Gin sighed, now fully exasperated with this conversation. "You obviously can't see it so I suppose I have to spell it out for you. I choose Rukia because she is something you want but can't have..."

He continued, "For the first time the great Ichigo Kurosaki isn't going to have his way, for the first time you won't win. Your luck has finally run out...and I promise you, I'm going to enjoy every minute of it. I'm going to enjoy watching you suffer...the way I suffered."

Ichigo fell silent and glared up the man who caused him so much despair. First he toys with his family, still dangling their only means of income over the edge and then he turns to his best friend, expertly hiding his cruel intentions...was there no depth to Gin's depravity? No.

"How's it feel?" Gin purred to a muted Ichigo. "How's it feel to know that Rukia wants me and not you. Hurts doesn't it? To lose the girl you love to the man you despise..."

"I know what you're trying to do you jilted bastard! What happened between me and Rangiku was a mistake! I won't let you hurt Ru-"

Gin thrust up a hand, palm out, to silence the younger man. "Oh spare me your heroics and get out of my office before _you_ end up getting hurt, little boy."

The acid in the older man's voice let Ichigo know that this conversation was finished. He stood slowly and menacingly, unconsciously sizing up Gin as he rose. The fox-faced man was taller than him but much thinner. He had a lean physique, built more like a runner than a fighter. Still, Ichigo had an inkling that Gin could hold his own in fight...and he was right.

Sighing in frustration, Ichigo walked from around the desk and brushed past Gin, now bottling up all of his anger. Everything he worked so hard to keep hidden was beginning to come to light. His brother's recklessness combined with Gin's depravity was about to bring very dark secrets screaming to the surface.

All Ichigo could do was try to get Rukia out of it.

"This isn't over..." He muttered,

"On the contrary," Gin said as he leaned triumphantly against his desk, "Its just begun..."

To Be Continued...

* * *

**Lemony:** Well now that we've got that out of the way, I guess its time for us to explain where we've been for like half a freaking century.

**Wicked:** Life got hectic.

**Awesome:** Looks like Wicked summed it up pretty good.

**Lemony:** *shrugs* Ok then. But yeah, long time no see readers. Hope you enjoyed this chapter so without further ado...REVIEW!


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